Sustaining Trust through Unexpected Disruptions in New Zealand Secondary Schools
Abstract
Trust is highly valued in schools and has been linked to factors that support innovation, wellbeing and high student achievement (Bryk & Schneider, 2002; Sun et al., 2023; Tschannen-Moran & Gareis, 2015). The purpose of the research study this article is based on was to identify how sustaining trust through unexpected change differs from building trust, and therefore what actions are required from school principals during these disruptions. Data from an anonymous survey of New Zealand secondary school teachers revealed how important they thought different facets of trust were and what advice they would give to principals when building trust versus sustaining trust. It was found that honesty was ranked highest for both. In addition, the most frequent advice to principals centered on acts of benevolence when both building and sustaining trust, followed by openness. Teachers also valued principals remaining calm during uncertainty. Their advice also shifted from building an individual relationship with the principal when establishing trust, towards looking after the team collectively when sustaining trust. The implications of this research are that principals need to be aware of the impact of their actions during unexpected changes, focusing on the wellbeing of all and providing certainty to teachers by taking a consistent, calm, and transparent approach.
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