ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATION BASED ON LEAN THINKING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

This article examines the application of Lean Thinking to academic administration in secondary schools, addressing persistent issues such as redundant academic processes, excessive teacher workload, limited resources, and the lack of system coherence. Although national policies emphasize competency-based learning and the reduction of educational waste, schools continue to face structural challenges that hinder the development of efficient academic management systems. These conditions highlight the need for modern management approaches—particularly Lean Thinking—to enhance educational quality in a practical and systematic manner. The article synthesizes three core components of academic administration—curriculum development, learning management, and assessment and evaluation—and integrates them with four Lean stages: identifying value, planning and implementation, reflection, and continuous improvement. This integration creates a streamlined system that minimizes waste, enhances process flow, supports effective resource allocation, and strengthens the ability of schools to respond to learners’ needs. Findings indicate that Lean Thinking enables schools to recognize value-adding processes, eliminate non-value-adding activities, improve teacher efficiency, optimize resource utilization, and enhance student learning outcomes sustainably. The academic contribution of this article lies in presenting a systemic conceptual framework for applying Lean Thinking to academic administration in secondary schools, offering strategic guidance for improving educational quality in response to 21st-century demands.