MANAGING BLENDED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AS A FACTOR IN REDUCING EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY

Abstract

The article substantiates the feasibility of adopting blended learning management in higher education institutions to reduce educational inequality. The study is grounded in the idea that educational inequality in contemporary higher education is manifested not only through differences in academic achievement but also through unequal access of learners to digital resources, pedagogical support, stable communication, flexible forms of participation in the educational process, and individualized opportunities for progression in learning. It is shown that blended learning does not have an automatic equalizing effect. Its impact depends on how the digital environment, platform-based interaction, asynchronous access to materials, feedback, teacher support, and monitoring of learning difficulties are organized at the institutional level. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical substantiation of blended learning management as a factor in reducing educational inequality and to identify the managerial mechanisms that ensure more equitable access to resources, interaction, support, and learning outcomes. The study found that the anti-inequality potential of blended learning is realized through platform coherence, standardization of digital courses, logically organized asynchronous access, supportive pedagogical communication, the use of learning analytics for early risk identification, and the development of learners’ digital and information readiness. It has been proven that, in the absence of coherent management, blended learning may not reduce but rather intensify the existing gaps between different groups of learners. It is concluded that blended learning management should be interpreted as a system of strategic and organizational decisions aimed at expanding educational opportunities, increasing the accessibility of the educational process, and reducing educational inequality. The practical significance of the study lies in shifting attention from individual digital tools to the institutional conditions of their fair and effective use.