Building and Sustaining Relational Trust Through Leadership 

 
What does the research tell us? 
Brewster & Railsback, (2003), found that not much research has been done on a large scale with 
studies around teacher-principal or teacher-teacher trust in supporting school and student 
learning and achievement. They have identified Bryk and Schneider’s 2002 analysis of the 
relationships between trust and student achievement as one of the best and most well-known 
study. They conducted this study over 10 years and on over 400 Chicago elementary schools.   
Bryk and Schneider were able to establish a connection between the level of trust in a school and 
student learning. While they are careful to clarify that trust in and of itself does not directly affect 
student learning, they did find that “trust fosters a set of organizational conditions, some 
structural and others social-psychological, that make it more conducive for individuals to initiate 
and sustain the kinds of activities necessary to affect productivity improvements” (p. 116).  
This occurs in four broad ways: 
◆ Trust among educators lowers their sense of vulnerability as they engage in “the new and 
uncertain tasks associated with reform.” 
◆ Trust “facilitates public problem-solving within an organization.” 
◆ Trust “undergirds the highly efficient system of social control found in a school-based 
professional community” (p. 116). Staff members understand their own and others’ roles and 
obligations as part of the school community and need minimal supervision or external pressure in 
order to carry them out. 
◆ Trust “sustains an ethical imperative … to advance the best interests of children,” and thus 
“constitutes a moral resource for school improvement” (p. 34).  
(Bryk & Schneider (2002)). 
 
Two other researchers who have published extensively on the issue of trust in schools are Wayne 
K. Hoy and Megan Tschannen-Moran. They developed a Trust Scale to measure the level of trust 
in schools and examined the interrelationships of faculty trust in students, teachers, principals, 
and parents. The scale was developed in a number of phases: the development of items to 
measure facets of trust; a check of content validity with an expert panel; a field test with teachers; 
and a pilot study with 50 teachers in 50 different schools from five states.  
 
Definition of trust 
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary tells us that trust is ‘assured reliance on the character, 
ability, strength, or truth of someone or something’. The associated meaning in the 
Merriam-Webster online thesaurus is a ‘firm belief in the integrity, ability, effectiveness, or 
genuineness of someone or something’. (Harris, Caldwell, & Longmuir, (2013)). 
In a literature review by Harris, Caldwell, & Longmuir, (2013), they explained that trust in schools is 
therefore concerned with how this ‘assured reliance’ and ‘firm belief’ can be embedded in the 
school and the role that principals and school leaders play in creating this state of affairs. 
Evidence that shows the relationship between trust and school performance and school 
improvement is relevant.  
Harris, Caldwell, & Longmuir, (2013), identified the types of trust there can be:  
• Self-trust: ​the trust that people need to be confident of their capabilities and judgments in given 
situations. 
• ​Relational trust:​ the trust a person puts in another person or group of people…a generalised 
type of trust usually established over time. 
•​ Structural trust: ​trust that we put in entire institutions, companies and brands…for example, we 
may trust a country. 
• ​Transactional trust: t​ his is trust that is specific, often one-off and pertains to a particular 
context at a particular time. (Adapted from Bibb & Kourdi 2004, pp. 10–11) 
 
What is Relational Trust and how is it developed? 
Louise Anaru a principal at Flaxmere College, Hastings, defines relational trust as the day-to-day 
interactions that teachers have with other teachers, school leaders, parents, school community 
and with their students. Relational trust looks at the idea that it is not one person’s responsibility 
to meet the needs of a student.  
The principal looks to build a cohesive professional community, where teachers are able to feel 
supported and have the resources and opportunities to learn from others. 
Teachers need to know how to get alongside parents to support them to assist their children to 
do well at school. Ultimately, good student outcomes are significantly more likely to be achieved 
when there are supportive and trusting relationships between teachers, school leaders, parents 
and students.” (Anaru, 2018).  
 
There are 4 key roles for relational trust to work: 
1. Respect 
This is where you are genuinely listening to others and taking into account their views when 
making decisions. 
When people feel that they are not being treated with respect, they are likely to lose enthusiasm 
and commitment, and to avoid interacting and participating. 
 
2. Personal regard 
Showing that people are valued and trusted. 
When people feel valued and trusted they are prepared to go the extra mile. 
 
3. Competence 
Parents rely on the professional ethics and skills of school staff. 
Teachers depend on school leaders to provide supportive conditions for them to be effective in 
the classroom. 
Competent school leaders are able to effectively manage day-to-day school affairs. 
Competent school leaders are skilled at relating to students and the school community. 
Competent school leaders understand teaching and learning and ways to improve them. 
 
4. Personal integrity 
Consistency between words and action. 
Trust to keep their word. 
Moral-ethical perspective to guide work. 
Keeping student needs at forefront. 
Being prepared to challenge things that need to be changed. 
 

 
 
In order for relational trust to work these key things need to be in place: 
•​ Centrality of Principal Leadership:​ Principals establish both respect and personal regard when 
they acknowledge the vulnerabilities of others, actively listen to their concerns, and avoid 
arbitrary actions. 
• ​Authentic Parent Engagement:​ In most schools, communities remain highly dependent on the 
good intentions of teachers; parent vulnerabilities need to be recognized and teachers should be 
supported to create partnerships with parents and families to promote student learning and 
growth. 
• ​Small School Size:​ Relational trust is more likely to flourish when there is expanded face-to-face 
time and limited bureaucratic relations across the organization. The work structures of small 
schools are less complex and their social networks are typically fewer in number–as a result 
relational trust is likely to be sustained more easily. 
• ​Stable School Communities:​ The stability of a student body directly affects teacher-parent 
trust. Building and maintaining trust therefore depends on repeated social exchanges. 
• ​Voluntary Association: R ​ elational trust is also more likely to arise in schools where at least a 
modicum of choice exists for both staff and students. 
(Bryk & Schneider (2002)) 
 
  
Figure 28 is from the BES and it summarises the leadership qualities needed to build relational 
trust and show the different levels between teachers and students.  
 
Building and sustaining high trust relationships 
Educational Leadership Capability Framework was developed by New Zealand Council 
for Educational Research (NZCER), who were commissioned by The Education Council of 
Aotearoa New Zealand. They developed a framework to support the teaching profession to 
develop leadership capability.  
 
LINK to full document 
Below are some screenshot taken from the framework identify building and sustaining 
relationships, along with being culturally responsive.

 
  

 
 
BUILDING TRUST BETWEEN PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS 
Listed below are some general suggestions from researchers, professors of education, and practitioners for laying a 
foundation for teacher-principal trust. (Brewster & Railsback,(2003). 
● Demonstrate personal integrity.  
● Show that you care. 
● Be accessible. 
● Facilitate and model effective communication. 
● Involve staff in decision making.  
● Celebrate experimentation and support risk. 
● Express value for dissenting views.  
● Reduce teachers’ sense of vulnerability. 
● Ensure that teachers have basic resources. 
● Be prepared to replace ineffective teachers 
 
BUILDING TRUST AMONG TEACHERS 
The responsibility for building trust among teachers falls on the shoulders of principals and teachers alike. Principals 
can—and should—take an active role in creating the necessary conditions for teacher relationships that are both 
collegial and congenial. (Brewster & Railsback,(2003). 
● Engage the full faculty in activities and discussions related to the school’s mission, vision, and core values. 
● Make new teachers feel welcome.  
● Create—and support—meaningful opportunities for teachers to work collaboratively.  
● Identify ways to increase and/or improve faculty communication. 
● Make relationship-building a priority.  
● Choose a professional development model that promotes relationship-building. 
 
   
References 
Brewster, C., & Railsback, J. (2003). Building trusting relationships for school improvement: {Implications} for 
principals and teachers. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.  
 
Bryk, A. S., & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in Schools, i, 26. 
 
Building relational trust / Louise Anaru – NAPP / Ako in action / Leadership programmes / Leadership development 
/ Home - Educational Leaders. (2018). Educationalleaders.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 September 2018, from 
http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Leadership-programmes/Ako-in-action/Louise-An
aru-NAPP/Building-relational-trust  
 
Harris, J., Caldwell, B., & Longmuir, M. F. (2013). Literature review : A culture of trust enhances performance. Australian 
Institute for TEaching and School Leadership.  
 
Leadership, C., & Requirements, C. (n.d.). Leadership capability framework. 
https://educationcouncil.org.nz/sites/default/files/Leadership_Capability_Framework.pdf  
 
Spotlight on Leadership | Education Counts. (2018). Educationcounts.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 September 2018, from 
https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/topics/bes/resources/spotlight-on/spotlight-on-leadership