Blockchain-Based Credentialing for Teachers: A Systematic Literature Review on Transparency and Trust in Educational Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64803/cessmuds.v1.6Keywords:
Blockchain Education; Educational Management; Teachers Credentialing; Transparency; Trust.Abstract
This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of blockchain applications in educational credentialing, with a particular emphasis on teacher professional development and governance. While most existing research focuses on higher education credentials, this review highlights the limited exploration of blockchain in teacher credentialing, despite its significant potential to address persistent challenges such as credential fraud, data fragmentation, and slow verification processes. Guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework, the review synthesizes 27 peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2025. The findings reveal that blockchain’s core features —immutability, verifiability, and decentralization —can transform credential governance from a “trust-by-institution” model to a “trust-by-design” system. This paradigm shift enables tamper-resistant records, cross-institutional verification, and transparent audit trails, thereby enhancing accountability. The study makes three key contributions. Theoretically, it extends the literature by systematically consolidating knowledge on the role of blockchain in teacher credentialing, offering a novel perspective on its governance implications. Practically, it provides concrete recommendations for policymakers, institutions, teachers, and technology developers, with relevance for developing countries. In the Indonesian context, blockchain integration with systems such as SIMPKB, SISTER, and PDDikti is proposed as a pathway toward more transparent, accountable, and competency-based teacher management. Finally, the review identifies future research directions, including empirical pilot studies, cross-country comparisons, ethical frameworks for data privacy, and cost-benefit analyses of adoption in resource-constrained settings. Overall, this study highlights blockchain not only as a technological innovation but also as a governance strategy that can strengthen trust, accountability, and transparency in teacher credentialing systems.
References
Ahmat, N. H. C., Bashir, M. A. A., Razali, A. R., & Kasolang, S. (2021). Micro-Credentials in Higher Education Institutions: Challenges and Opportunities. Asian Journal of University Education, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v17i3.14505
Altinay, F., Beyatli, Ö., Dagli, G., & Altinay, Z. (2020). The role of Edmodo model for professional development: The uses of blockchain in school management. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 15(12). https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i12.13571
Arenas, R., & Fernandez, P. (2018). CredenceLedger: A Permissioned Blockchain for Verifiable Academic Credentials. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation, ICE/ITMC 2018 - Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICE.2018.8436324
Asamoah, K. O., Darko, A. P., Antwi, C. O., Kodjiku, S. L., Aggrey, E. S. E. B., Wang, Q., & Zhu, J. (2023). A Blockchain-Based Crowdsourcing Loan Platform for Funding Higher Education in Developing Countries. IEEE Access, 11. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3252917
Chen, X., Zou, D., Cheng, G., Xie, H., & Jong, M. (2023). Blockchain in smart education: Contributors, collaborations, applications and research topics. Education and Information Technologies, 28(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11399-5
Childers, G., Linsky, C. L., Payne, B., Byers, J., & Baker, D. (2023). K-12 educators’ self-confidence in designing and implementing cybersecurity lessons. Computers and Education Open, 4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2022.100119
Davis, M., De Bari, J., & Maschi, S. (2023). Credentialling: Educational Pathways in Design. She Ji, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2023.03.001
Delgado-von-Eitzen, C., Anido-Rifón, L., & Fernández-Iglesias, M. J. (2024). NFTs for the Issuance and Validation of Academic Information That Complies with the GDPR. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 14(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020706
Dungey, C., & Ansell, N. (2022). ‘Not All of Us Can Be Nurses’: Proposing and Resisting Entrepreneurship Education in Rural Lesotho. Sociological Research Online, 27(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/1360780420944967
Ghonim, A., & Corpuz, I. (2021). Moving Toward A Digital Competency-based Approach in Applied Education: Developing a System Supported by Blockchain to Enhance Competency-Based Credentials. International Journal of Higher Education, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v10n5p33
Guo, J., Li, C., Zhang, G., Sun, Y., & Bie, R. (2020). Blockchain-enabled digital rights management for multimedia resources of online education. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 79(15–16). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-019-08059-1
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Singh, R. P., Suman, R., & Rab, S. (2021). Blockchain technology applications in healthcare: An overview. In International Journal of Intelligent Networks (Vol. 2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijin.2021.09.005
He, X., Guo, H., & Cheng, X. (2021). Blockchain-Based Privacy Protection Scheme for IoT-Assisted Educational Big Data Management. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/3558972
Howard, J. E., & Mayes, E. L. (2020). Do teaching credentials matter? School leaders’ preferences when screening and selecting teacher candidates. International Journal of Educational Research, 103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101637
Kelchen, R. (2022). The Lasting Effects of the Pandemic on Graduate and Professional Education. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 51(1). https://doi.org/10.55504/0884-9153.1783
Kurniawan, R., & Duwita oktaviani. (2022). Characteristics of Blockchain Technology In Educational Development. Blockchain Frontier Technology, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.34306/bfront.v1i2.41
Lakkis, H., & Issa, H. (2022). Understanding Blockchain Technology. International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.4018/ijthi.297617
Leka, E., & Selimi, B. (2021). Development and evaluation of blockchain based secure application for verification and validation of academic certificates. Annals of Emerging Technologies in Computing, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.33166/AETiC.2021.02.003
Meenakshi, K., & Sashi Rekha, K. (2023). An Enhanced Security System Using Blockchain Technology for Strong FMC Relationship. Intelligent Automation and Soft Computing, 35(1). https://doi.org/10.32604/iasc.2023.025032
Mugayitoglu, B., Borowczak, M., & Burrows, A. C. (2021). Designing a Creative Cybersecurity Microcredential for Educators: Challenges and Successes of K-12 Teacher Professional Development. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--36927
Ouyang, S., & Huang, X. (2022). Education Evaluation Management Based on Blockchain Technology. Mobile Information Systems, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7513365
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. In BMJ (Vol. 372). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Saadati, Z., Zeki, C. P., & Vatankhah Barenji, R. (2023). On the development of blockchain-based learning management system as a metacognitive tool to support self-regulation learning in online higher education. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.1920429
Sakhipov, A., Baidildinov, T., Yermaganbetova, M., & Ualiyev, N. (2023). Design of an Educational Platform for Professional Development of Teachers with Elements of Blockchain Technology. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 14(7). https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2023.0140757
Steiu, M. F. (2020). Blockchain in education: Opportunities, applications, and challenges. First Monday, 25(9). https://doi.org/10.5210/FM.V25I9.10654
Varadarajan, S., Koh, J. H. L., & Daniel, B. K. (2023). A systematic review of the opportunities and challenges of micro-credentials for multiple stakeholders: learners, employers, higher education institutions and government. In International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education (Vol. 20, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00381-x
Wang, L., Quota, M. B. N., Demas, A., & Prouty, B. (2019). Strengthening Accountability for Better Learning Outcomes. In Expectations and Aspirations: A New Framework for Education in the Middle East and North Africa. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1234-7_ch14
White, S. (2021). Developing credit based micro-credentials for the teaching profession: An Australian descriptive case study. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 27(7). https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2021.2003324
Yepes-Nuñez, J. J., Urrútia, G., Romero-García, M., & Alonso-Fernández, S. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. Revista Espanola de Cardiologia, 74(9). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.recesp.2021.06.016
Zhao, L., Zhang, J., & Jing, H. (2022). Blockchain-Enabled Digital Rights Management for Museum-Digital Property Rights. Intelligent Automation and Soft Computing, 34(3). https://doi.org/10.32604/iasc.2022.029693
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Marnita Marnita, Nanda Safarati, Iswadi Bensaadi, M. Taufiq (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
