Keywords
Educational governance
Student engagement
Student well-being
Higher education management
Abstract
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is transforming governance structures across higher education institutions, requiring renewed theoretical perspectives on educational management. Traditional governance models primarily emphasize administrative efficiency and performance accountability, yet they insufficiently explain governance practices in digitally mediated environments. At the same time, contemporary educational priorities increasingly recognize student engagement and well-being as central indicators of institutional effectiveness. This study develops an integrated theoretical framework reconceptualizing educational governance in the AI era by linking AI-driven governance systems to student engagement and well-being through institutional adaptive transformation processes. Drawing upon governance theory, digital transformation research, and student development literature, the proposed framework positions governance as a structural determinant of learning environments rather than merely an administrative function. The framework illustrates how AI-supported decision-making systems reshape institutional responsiveness, subsequently influencing student engagement and broader well-being outcomes. The article further outlines implications for future empirical research, particularly concerning ethical governance, leadership transformation, and long-term impacts of algorithmic management in education. By integrating governance transformation with student-centered outcomes, this study provides a conceptual foundation for examining educational governance in technologically evolving learning environments and offers directions for future research and policy development.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Liusong Yang, Chenlu Yu, Tianrui Zhang, Wei Yet Tan