Trust Me: Your School Can Be Better—A Message from Teachers to Principals

Abstract

Drawing upon empirical data, this article explores the concept of trust as a context for the establishment of teacher leadership. This article is part of a larger study that was carried out over a 2-year period and involved 21 teachers, 21 subject leaders and 9 principals belonging to three private K—12 schools in Beirut, Lebanon. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest the pivotal role of trust in establishing higher levels of teachers’ self efficacy, collaboration, commitment, collective vision and building a strong sense of belonging to the organization thus paving the way towards the establishment of teacher leadership. The article highlights how principals establish trust by (1) securing a considerate environment that encourages teachers to get involved in professional dialogues; (2) modelling specific leadership behaviours; and (3) making it possible for teachers to instigate ideas and programmes that result from reflective practice.