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

 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.

Keywords: School Leadership, Trust, Teacher Professionalism, Educational Administration