Educational Innovation and Ethics Applied to Conflict Mediation in Higher Education: A Preventive Strategy for Well-Being and Academic Success

This study aimed to design and validate an educational innovation strategy grounded in applied ethics and conflict mediation as a preventive approach to strengthen well-being and academic success in higher education. A mixed-methods design was employed, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational-explanatory scope. The sample consisted of 354 participants (312 students and 42 faculty members). The Ethical Mediation and Academic Climate Questionnaire (EMACQ), validated through expert judgment and demonstrating high reliability (α = .91), was administered alongside semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed positive and statistically significant correlations among ethical sensitivity, perception of mediation, institutional climate, and academic well-being. The regression model explained 58% of the variance in well-being and academic engagement, with institutional climate emerging as the strongest predictor. Pretest–posttest comparisons indicated statistically significant improvements across all measured dimensions, with large effect sizes. Qualitative analysis confirmed processes of conflict transformation, strengthened institutional trust, and expanded ethical awareness. The study concluded that the systematic integration of applied ethics, structured mediation, and pedagogical innovation constitutes an effective preventive strategy for fostering fair, participatory, and achievement-oriented academic communities. The research provides a replicable integrative model that addresses the fragmentation between mediation, academic integrity, and student well-being, contributing to the advancement of educational innovation in higher education.