Bridging technical and emotional skill gaps: AI-enhanced adaptive learning and emotional intelligence in project management education

This study explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced adaptive learning supports technical competencies and emotional intelligence (EI) development in project management education. Using a mixed-methods design, it integrates Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with thematic analysis to examine how intelligent learning systems influence conceptual mastery, engagement, and interpersonal skills. Findings show that AI-enhanced features, such as real-time feedback, simulations, and reflective prompts, enhance understanding of project management concepts while fostering EI capacities such as empathy, collaboration, and conflict resolution. Participants emphasised the importance of prompt engineering for personalisation, alongside concerns about bias, transparency, and ethical data use. Grounded in constructivist, experiential, and connectivism theories, the study proposes an illustrative framework for adaptive systems integrating cognitive and socio-emotional learning. The findings highlight AI’s potential to develop the hybrid skill sets essential for project leadership while calling for responsible, inclusive, and ethically governed implementation in higher education.