The influence of TQM and innovation on the effectiveness of Indonesian Islamic schools

Abstract This study uses Total Quality Management (TQM) to examine the factors that affect the effectiveness of Islamic schools. Data were collected from 610 school teachers across four Indonesian provinces. The study used PLS-SEM procedures (measurement and structural models) to examine the relationships among proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that innovation was the most significant factor affecting school effectiveness. Meanwhile, education and training were identified as the least important predictors. The findings suggest that innovation and TQM principles enhance the effectiveness of Islamic schools. The results show that TQM dimensions such as student focus, process control and involvement, measurement and evaluation, and change management have a significant positive influence on the effectiveness of Islamic schools. Innovation acts as an independent variable with the strongest direct effect, although it does not function as a significant moderator. However, this study is limited by its cross-sectional, self-reported teacher survey design and quota-based sampling across four provinces, which may restrict causal inference and generalizability to other Indonesian Islamic school contexts. Future research should examine long-term effects, school environments, and other variables to better understand the implementation of TQM in education.