Using the Project Method as a Pedagogical Condition for Developing Predictive Competence in Future Managers

Abstract

The article substantiates the relevance of developing predictive competence as a key component of managerial activity in the context of a modern, dynamic, turbulent, and uncertain environment. It is emphasized that the ability to forecast is a fundamental managerial skill required for strategic decision-making, risk assessment, adaptation to change, and ensuring the proactive development of organizations.

The author considers project-based learning as an effective pedagogical tool for forming this competence in the professional training of management students. The article reviews contemporary research on the development of managerial and predictive competencies (Korotkina, Fayolle, Kolb, Klimenko, Pavlova, Vincent-Lancrin, Shpak, Dacko-Pikiewicz, Velychko, Ruda), which highlight scientific interest in the topic, while also revealing research gaps: the lack of empirical evidence for the effectiveness of the project method specifically in shaping predictive behavior in students, insufficient elaboration of didactic mechanisms, and limited representation in the Ukrainian higher education context.

To verify the hypothesis regarding the impact of the project method on the development of predictive competence, a pedagogical experiment was conducted, which included both a diagnostic and formative stage. The study involved 62 students majoring in Management, divided into an experimental group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 30). Over one academic semester, students in the experimental group were taught using the project method, while traditional forms of instruction (lectures and seminars) were used in the control group.

The level of predictive competence was assessed based on three parameters: the ability to anticipate alternative scenarios, the justification of forecasts, and cognitive flexibility. The results demonstrated statistically significant growth across all parameters in the experimental group (t = 5.97; p < 0.01), unlike the control group (t = 1.12; p > 0.05). The highest increase was recorded in the parameter of cognitive flexibility. Qualitative changes were also observed, such as increased variability in approaches, enhanced responsibility for decisions made, and the development of reflective skills.

Based on the results of the experiment, the article provides practical recommendations for improving the professional training of future managers. These include the systematic integration of the project method into academic courses, modeling uncertainty, the use of interdisciplinary tasks, the development of reflective thinking, and collaboration with practitioners. The author emphasizes that project-based learning creates favorable conditions for forming a new generation of managers—those who are strategic thinkers, adaptive, innovative, and capable of leading in times of change.