Building relational trust in a BC context between administrative leaders and teachers
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore different ways administrators can generate
relational trust with teachers. The research question was: How can administrators
build relational trust between themselves and teachers within their schools? Five
semi-formal interviews were conducted with the participants of this study. Each
participant was selected from Vancouver Island and each participant held an official
administrative role in his or her district. Three themes emerged from the findings:
to develop trust with teachers, administrators should: demonstrate competence as a
leader, show respect towards teachers, and be open in their communication and in
their collaboration with teachers. It was found that the benefits of having strong
relational trust between administrators and teachers led to increased collaboration,
effective schools, greater teachers participation and increased student achievement.