Date of Award

1-1-2023

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Educational Policy and Leadership

Content Description

1 online resource ( xiii, 167 pages) : illustrations (some color)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Kristen C Wilcox

Committee Members

Hal A Lawson, Kathryn S Schiller

Keywords

COVID-19, Leadership, P-12, Principal, Trust, Educational leadership

Subject Categories

Educational Leadership

Abstract

Trust has been called the “lubricant for social and interpersonal interactions” and “vital for individuals working together to create effective systems.” Organizations were challenged with considering how to adapt and innovate practices during COVID-19 in order to achieve their purpose and mission, continue their effectiveness towards that end, all while being cognizant of the health and safety of their members. Educational institutions were concurrently required to adopt remote instructional practices, adhere to strict safety and health measures, consider the effects of social-emotional health, while encouraging the ongoing learning of students. Courageous building principals and district leaders encouraged new practices, supported pedagogical innovations, and sustained and built systems that have superseded the disruptions of COVID-19.This qualitative multiple case study was designed to review and reflect on the practices of Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grades (P-12) school principals in creating, promoting, and sustaining levels of trust during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has shown that trust-building and trust-sustaining within an organization hinge on multiple factors. One of the most salient is the leader’s relationship to their subordinates. Literature offers that a principal’s dispositions (i.e., characteristics, values, and beliefs that one holds), as well as the actions a principal takes in creating an “open climate,” building structures of collaboration, and utilizing effective communication channels, will foster relational trust within an educational organization. This study dives into the trust dynamics in six P-12 schools in New York to investigate if leader’s dispositions and actions supported the building and sustaining of trust. Schools were identified as positive outliers in a larger study based on a survey conducted in 2020-21 that indicated relatively more positive workforce responses in terms of stress and job satisfaction during COVID-19. Data was collected utilizing interviews (teachers, building principals, and district leaders and focus groups (teachers) from schools identified as positive outliers through a larger NYKids study. Highlighting literature around trust, leadership, and crisis-response and incorporating theories of performance adaptation, loose-tight leadership, and voice behavior, the goal of this study was to answer the following research questions: 1) How do educational leaders describe their dispositions in supporting relational trust as they led others through the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions in their schools? 2) How do educational leaders describe their actions in supporting relational trust as they led others through the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions in their school? The research in this study resulted in several distinct findings. The first is that trust-building and trust-sustaining dispositions and actions demonstrated by leaders during COVID-19 were present and mirrored those offered in the literature reviewed. The second finding of this study demonstrated that, while all dispositions and actions were apparent, there were noticeable definitional variations and conceptual nuances of such dispositions and actions. Additionally, through the analysis of research and with a lens of various theoretical frameworks, three larger concepts emerged around trust-building and trust-sustaining. These ideas include a culture of shared commitment, collective empathy, and collegial leadership and demonstrate salient organizational characteristics and behaviors in the cases studied. The organizational behaviors (e.g., communication and collaboration) identified in this study highlights key trust-dynamics and offers a framework and considerations for future research and leadership practice.

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