PROCRASTINATION AS A SYSTEMIC PREDICTOR OF TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT: A VIEW THROUGH THE LENS OF ECOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL FACILITATION (ECPF)

Abstract

This article offers a novel perspective on procrastination – not as a personal deficit or self-regulatory failure, but as a systemic predictor of change within educational environments. The relevance of the study arises from the urgent need to revise deficit-based and pathologizing views of procrastination in light of digital transformation, the spread of gig-education, and the growing role of uncertainty as a core condition of contemporary learning. The study aims to conceptualize procrastination as an adaptive mechanism and diagnostic signal of interface shifts in education, and to develop a multilevel model for its constructive integration at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels of the educational system. The methodology is based on the principles of the School of Ecological Psychological Facilitation (ECPF), systemic thinking, post-nonclassical psychology, and over two decades of facilitative practice with educational transformation. Key findings include the development of a conceptual framework for the non-deficit approach to procrastination, empirical justification of its role as a bifurcation marker in educational ecosystems, and the creation of facilitative tools such as “rhythmic synchronization,” “pulsating architecture,” “windows of opportunity,” and “adaptive calendars.” Practical case studies from the ECPF School show how so-called “negative procrastination” can be transformed into creative incubation when supported by the individual’s developmental rhythm. Future research directions include developing diagnostic tools to assess constructive procrastination, investigating its role in innovative educational models, and exploring the synergy between ecological facilitation and AI-supported learning in flexible digital ecosystems.