Jurnal Islam Nusantara
Vol 10, No 1 (2026)

From Normal Science to Paradigm Change: A Kuhnian Analysis of Educational Management Theory and Practice

Yusuf Fathurrahman (Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
15 Jun 2026

Abstract

Educational management is increasingly confronted with complex challenges arising from technological transformation, market-oriented governance, ethical crises, and the growing gap between institutional effectiveness and humanistic educational values. These conditions indicate the emergence of anomalies that question the adequacy of the dominant educational management paradigm. This study aims to analyze contemporary educational management through Thomas Kuhn’s concepts of normal science, anomalies, and paradigm change, while exploring the possibility of a more humanistic and prophetic management paradigm. The study employed a qualitative approach with a library research design. Data were collected from primary and secondary scholarly sources and analyzed through data condensation, data display, and conclusion verification. The findings reveal that contemporary educational management functions as a form of normal science characterized by dominant assumptions regarding efficiency, accountability, and performance measurement. However, this paradigm simultaneously generates anomalies, including ethical problems, dehumanization, governance weaknesses, and the marginalization of moral and spiritual dimensions. The accumulation of these anomalies indicates a potential paradigm crisis and the need for transformation toward a humanistic and prophetic educational management model. The implications of this study suggest that educational management should move beyond technocratic and performance-oriented approaches by integrating ethical, humanistic, and prophetic values into institutional governance, leadership, and policy practices.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

as

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Education Social Sciences

Description

Jurnal Islam Nusantara is published by the LTN PBNU Jakarta, Indonesia with its main aim to spread critical and original analysis from researchers and academic practitioners on various contemporary Islamic Thought issues in cross-perspective based on Islam Nusantara approach. The journal puts ...