Enhancing Educational Quality in Pesantren through Educational Fintech: Katalis Barokah for Building Public Trust

This study explores the role of the fintech application, “Katalis Barokah,” in building public trust by increasing transparency and accountability in financial management in Islamic boarding schools. Amidst the challenges of less transparent and structured financial management in Islamic boarding schools, this application is expected to offer a practical solution by providing a system that facilitates transaction recording, transparent financial reporting, and direct access to the community. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation, which were then analyzed to identify the impact of the application on Islamic boarding school financial management. The study results show that the “Katalis Barokah” application has improved the quality of Islamic boarding school financial quality assurance by increasing transparency and efficiency in fund management. The community and Islamic boarding school administrators reported increased trust thanks to the openness of information provided by the application, which in turn strengthened the relationship between the Islamic boarding school and the community. However, the challenge of adopting technology among Islamic boarding school administrators who are less skilled in using the application still needs to be overcome. This study concludes that integrating fintech technology can improve Islamic boarding school financial management and build public trust. However, increased digital literacy among Islamic boarding school administrators is required to maximize its benefits.