Transparency, Trust, and Teacher Quality: Rethinking Educational Management Through a Governance Lens

Vol 9 No 1 (2026): Volume 09 Issue 01 January 2026

Article Date Published : 29 January 2026 | Page No.: 502-510 | Google Scholar | Crossref doi for this article

Abstract :

Teacher quality in contemporary education systems is often addressed through technical reforms emphasizing standards, performance measurement, and administrative accountability. However, such approaches tend to overlook the governance conditions under which professional quality is formed and sustained. This article rethinks educational management through a governance lens by examining the interrelationship between transparency, institutional trust, and teacher quality. Drawing on a critical review of literature in educational governance, organizational trust, and professional management, the study argues that the relationship between transparency and teacher quality is not direct but mediated by institutional trust. Transparency that is perceived as fair, consistent, and substantively accountable contributes to the formation of trust, enabling teachers to interpret policies as supportive of professionalism rather than as instruments of control. In trust-based governance environments, teacher quality emerges not merely as individual competence, but as a systemic capacity encompassing professional autonomy, reflective practice, contextual adaptability, and sustained commitment. Conceptually, this article contributes an integrated governance framework that positions transparency, trust, and teacher quality as mutually reinforcing dimensions of educational management. The analysis further highlights the potential role of digital governance innovations, including blockchain-based financial transparency, as institutional enablers strengthen accountability while fostering trust. By emphasizing the balance between accountability and trust, the article offers a governance-oriented perspective for developing more legitimate, sustainable, and systemically grounded strategies to enhance teacher quality.

Keywords :

Educational Governance, Educational Management, Financial Transparency, Institutional trust, Teacher quality.

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Author's Affiliation

   Marnita
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Almuslim, Aceh, Indonesia

   Iswadi Bensaadi
Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Malikussaleh, Aceh, Indonesia

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Marnita , Iswadi Bensaadi, 2026

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Transparency, Trust, and Teacher Quality: Rethinking Educational Management Through a Governance Lens. Marnita, Iswadi Bensaadi, 9(1), 502-510. Retrieved from https://ijcsrr.org/single-view/?id=25336&pid=24992

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