Elementary principal leadership behaviors and teacher trust: An examination of transformational, transactional and servant leadership

Abstract

The high stakes accountability environment in which schools currently operate demands leadership behaviors that produce enhanced student outcomes. However, school principals are often caught in a complex web of competing stakeholder demands within large bureaucratic systems. Specifically, principals must fulfill high stakes accountability mandates while also cultivating an environment that enhances stakeholder morale while maintaining the health, safety and well-being of students and faculty. This study explores the influence of transformational, transactional, and servant leadership behaviors on collective faculty trust within a high-stakes mandated testing environment using the theoretical framework of Self-Determination Theory. Additionally, this study will explore the relationship between principal leadership behavior and collective faculty trust in colleagues and collective faculty trust in the principal to gain a better understanding of leadership behavior outcomes.