ERIC Number: EJ1333809
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Mar
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-6846
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Foundations of Superintendent Trustworthiness: Perspectives of Elementary School Principals
Benna, Justin V.; Hambacher, Elyse
Journal of School Leadership, v32 n2 p148-166 Mar 2022
In this article, we draw on the literature on trust to examine how elementary school principals make sense of superintendent trustworthiness. We examine trust in the context of the principal-superintendent relationship because it is the "social glue" needed for effective professional relationships where student learning and success is at the core. We used purposeful sampling and conducted fifteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews with five elementary school principals. Drawing on constructivist grounded theory guidelines, we describe the principals' foundations of superintendent trustworthiness, including how they conceptualize trust, the importance of superintendent competence, and shared values between both parties. Participants viewed trust as a reciprocal two-way path, requiring vulnerability from both parties and occurring over time. The experiences of the five participants are helpful for principals and superintendents who wish to strengthen trust relations for the purposes of their leadership and for creating healthy, thriving school communities.
Descriptors: Elementary Schools, Principals, Superintendents, Credibility, Trust (Psychology), Interpersonal Relationship, Administrator Attitudes, Competence, Values, Reliability, Ethics, Caring
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Hampshire
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A