ERIC Number: EJ826820
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-161X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Formation of Parent-School Trust: A Multilevel Analysis
Adams, Curt M.; Forsyth, Patrick B.; Mitchell, Roxanne M.
Educational Administration Quarterly, v45 n1 p4-33 2009
Purpose: The authors' focus was on understanding antecedents of parent trust toward schools. Two questions guided the inquiry: Is there a systematic difference in parent-school trust across schools? If so, what organizational conditions predict between-school variability in parent-school trust? Research Methods/Approach: Using multilevel modeling, this study examined school-level determinants of individual parent-school trust from a sample of 79 schools and 578 parents drawn randomly from a Midwestern state. Findings: Intraclass coefficients were first examined on the school-level attitudinal variables to determine their collective disposition. Estimates indicated that these conditions were collective properties of schools. Results from the Level 1 Means-As-Outcomes analysis showed that 16% of the variance in parent trust was explained by school membership. Level 2 predictors were entered individually with significant variables retained and entered into a combined model. Affective norms of parent perceived influence on school decisions ([beta]5j = 5.0, p less than 0.01) and school identification ([beta]4j = 2.7, p less than 0.01) had larger individual effects on parent-school trust than contextual conditions. Conclusion: Findings support the conceptualization of school trust as a collective property of school role groups that forms through affective, cognitive, and behavioral norms. Parent trust is not inherently deficient in schools plagued by social and contextual challenges. Regardless of poverty status, school size, diverse ethnic composition, and school level, school leaders can build and sustain parent trust by aligning policies and practices to address the affective needs of parents. Doing so reduces parents' perceived vulnerabilities and risks within the parent-school relationship. (Contains 2 figures and 6 tables.)
Descriptors: Poverty, Trust (Psychology), School Size, School Role, School Effectiveness, Parents, Parent School Relationship, Institutional Characteristics, Predictor Variables, Socioeconomic Status, Racial Composition, School Policy, Context Effect, Educational Environment, Social Influences
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A