Teacher Trust in District Administration

Abstract

Purpose: We set out in this study to establish a foundation for a line of inquiry around teacher trust in district administration by (1) describing the role of trust in capacity building, (2) conceptualizing trust in district administration, (3) developing a scale to measure teacher trust in district administration, and (4) testing the relationship between district trust and teacher commitment. Method: Teachers were the unit of analysis. Data were collected from a sample of teachers in one urban school district. Construct validity was assessed by examining content, structural, and convergent validity of the scale. A fully latent structural equation model was used to test the relationship between teacher trust in district administration and teacher commitment. Results: This study makes a strong case for developing a line of research on teacher trust in district administration. It establishes a good measure to use in future research, and it provides initial evidence showing that teacher beliefs are sensitive to the actions of district administrators. Implications: A valid and reliable measure can be used by researchers to study systematically the formation and effects of teacher trust in district administration. Accurate information on district trust also allows central office leaders to formatively assess the capacity of the school system to accomplish reform objectives at scale.

Lessons learnt from a large-scale curriculum reform: The strategies to enhance development work and reduce reform-related stress

“…This kind of leadership has been shown to enhance the reform's impact on the educational reality (Alkahtani 2017;Boone 2014;Guhn 2009;Hargreaves and Fink 2006;Jones et al 2013;López-Yáñez and Sánchez-Moreno 2013;Toh 2016). Involving lots of stakeholders with different ideas of the intended change in the process (van den Akker 2003) as well as facilitating participation of those affected by the reforms requires leadership that promotes collective responsibility, mutual trust and inclusive membership as well as the creation of spaces in which to work together towards common goals (Adams 2013;Adams and Miskell 2016;Chow 2013;Horton and Martin 2013;Kondakci et al 2017;Stoll et al 2006). Such participatory leadership in change management creates opportunities for learning and reflective professional inquiry among the educational practitioners who ultimately implement the aims of the reform in the school (Leana 2011;López-Yáñez and Sánchez-Moreno 2013;Ramberg 2014;Thoonen et al 2012).…”

Teacher Trust in District Administration: An Overlooked Relational Support for Teachers

“…Consistent with Hoy and colleagues’ conceptualization of trust (see Forsyth, Adams, & Hoy, 2011; Hoy, 2002; Hoy & Tschannen-Moran, 1999; Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2000), district trust is defined as a teacher’s willingness to risk vulnerability based on the confidence that district administrators, as a collective group, are viewed as benevolent, competence, open, honest, and reliable (Adams & Miskell, 2016). Such beliefs form through opportunities teachers have to judge the collective behavior and intentions of district administration.…”

“…Faculty trust in district administration was measured with the short form of the District Trust Scale (Adams & Miskell, 2016). The scale covers the theoretical properties of trust in that it operationalizes teacher beliefs that the district administration is open, honest, benevolent, reliable, and competent.…”

“…The initial test of the factor structure and reliability confirmed the psychometric strength of the scale. Reliability for the 5 items was strong as measured with a Cronbach’s α of .93 and Spearman–Brown and Guttman Split-Half Coefficients of .92 (Adams & Miskell, 2016).…”

“…Competence is experienced as a sense of effectiveness in one’s pursuits and actions (Deci & Ryan, 2008). Relatedness reflects a sense of attachment and belonging to others and to specific tasks (Adams & Miskell, 2016; Vansteenkiste & Ryan, 2013). Two items for each need were used in the analysis.…”