The Influence of School Leaderships’ Trust on Teachers’ Morale and Professional Development: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This research explores the relationship between the school leadershp trust on morale and the professional development of teachers. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 teachers from 32 primary schools under FGEI(C/G) in Rawalpindi city. Further, in order to gather qualitative data for this research, a semi structure interview guide was used. This format allowed each participant the opportunity to provide their own unique perspective based upon their personal experiences in their individual school environments. Thematic analysis was used to interpret common themes with in the collected data. The research found that school leadership positively affects teacher morale and professionalism and that trust in school administrators acts as a mediating variable in this relationship. The results of this research support the notion that trust can be an effective mechanism in increasing professional behavior in teachers and that school administrators should take steps to establish a culture of trust between teachers and school administrators.