Teacher powerlessness in curriculum management for educational quality at traditional Islamic boarding schools

Traditional Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) have long prioritized moral and spiritual values. Yet in recent decades, modernization pressures have threatened the sustainability of these traditions. The challenges are both structural and psychological, especially for teachers who face limited autonomy in decision-making and remain vulnerable to external policy pressures. This study examines the roots of teacher powerlessness and its consequences for the quality of education in pesantren. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, it relies on observation, interviews, and analysis of policy documents available online. The findings show that teacher powerlessness is primarily a product of hierarchical managerial structures and the dominance of kiai (authority figure) charisma. As earlier research has observed, curriculum management within pesantren often sidelines teachers’ capacity to innovate in adapting to modernization and digitalization. The absence of sustained professional training and the consistent exclusion of teachers from decision-making processes deepen this disempowerment. Given these findings, the study stresses the need to strengthen teacher agency through training opportunities and greater autonomy. Equally important is the call for closer collaboration among government, educational institutions, and teachers themselves to secure and improve the quality of education in traditional pesantren.