Award Date

12-15-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education

First Committee Member

Megan Griffard

Second Committee Member

Jacob Skousen

Third Committee Member

Steven Nelson

Fourth Committee Member

Jungnam Kim

Number of Pages

219

Abstract

Faculty trust in principals is essential to a healthy school culture, yet it remains one of the most fragile and complex aspects of leadership, particularly in Title I schools (Tschannen-Moran, 2007, 2014; Tschannen-Moran et al., 2015). While trust has been widely studied, fewer investigations have focused on the specific behaviors female principals use to build trust in the post-COVID era (Berkovich, 2018; Bukko et al., 2021; Handford & Leithwood, 2013; Jeanquart-Barone, 2013; Zajda et al., 2023; Zheng et al., 2021). Research suggests that women in leadership must be deliberate in fostering trust, yet their behaviors are often judged more harshly than men’s, making trust-building inherently more difficult under traditional gender role expectations (Grissom et al., 2021). This qualitative action research study investigated how a practitioner-informed tool, the Faculty Trust Playbook Reflection Tool, supports principals in cultivating faculty trust. Designed as an action research project, the study not only examined trust-building practices but also engaged participants in a cycle of reflection and implementation, allowing principals to apply the tool in real time and generate practitioner-driven insights. The research specifically focused on female principals in Title I schools, exploring how they can intentionally strengthen trust with their faculty through reflective practice and actionable strategies (Hoy & Tarter, 1988; Brown, 2018). Grounded in Brown’s (2018) BRAVING framework from The Anatomy of Trust, the playbook was designed to bridge theory and practice by providing reflective prompts, actionable strategies, and a shared language for cultivating trust. Participants included 14 participants, including, principals, teachers, and licensed non-teaching staff from Title I schools in California. Data was collected through focus groups, surveys, and a short-term implementation of the playbook, and was analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that trust is reciprocal and built through consistent, intentional actions rather than words alone. Key themes emerged as central to faculty trust: (1) lenses of trust; (2) trust builders-when principals “get it right”; (3) trust breakers; (4) healing mistrust-what staff wish principals knew and what principals wish staff knew; and (5) the impact of COVID-19 on trust and leadership. Participants noted that the Faculty Trust Playbook Reflection Tool was effective because it moved beyond theory, guiding leaders through self-reflection and providing concrete steps to increase trust. The implications extend to female Title I principals, Districts, and policymakers. The Faculty Trust Playbook Reflection Tool serves not only as a set of strategies but also as a guiding framework, a North Star, for principals seeking to intentionally develop and sustain faculty trust. Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability, Vault, Integrity, Non-judgment, and Generosity are not abstract ideals but daily practices that keep leaders aligned on the path. In the end, every deliberate act of trust-building moves schools closer to becoming communities where teachers feel valued, students thrive, and leadership is defined by both courage and care.

Controlled Subject

Community centers; Leadership in women; Teachers

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership | Educational Psychology

File Format

PDF

File Size

5400 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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