Teachers' Trust and Communication Practices in Co-Teaching: Basis for Collaborative Partnership Strengthening Program

Abstract

This mixed-methods study assessed the roles of teacher trust and communication in fostering successful co-teaching partnerships among 55 elementary teachers in Barili, Cebu. It served as the basis for developing a team-building program. The respondents, characterized as an experienced, highly-qualified, and predominantly female group with universal professional development training in co-teaching, reported exceptionally high levels of both Teacher Trust (Overall WM=4.60, "Strongly Agree") and Communication Practices (Overall WM=4.54, "Always"). Trust dimensions, including reliability, honesty, and professional respect, all received high scores, as did communication practices regarding role clarity and conflict resolution. A strong, highly significant positive correlation was found across all dimensions of teacher trust and communication practices (r values up to 0.791), confirming that the two factors are mutually reinforcing and essential for partnership success, with reliability being the strongest predictor of effective conflict resolution. Despite the high overall scores, the lowest mean was observed for the time dedicated to discussing lesson plans (WM=4.40), indicating a structural gap. The study concludes that high teacher trust and communication are critical determinants of co-teaching success, provided proactive administrative measures support them. Based on these findings, a Team-Building and Communication Program was crafted, with key recommendations that mandate protected, dedicated co-planning time, enhance conflict-resolution skills, and reinforce professional standards for trust and administrative support.