Podium Presentation - 10 minutes International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

Transformational leadership and self- and collective teachers’ efficacy: the mediating role of teachers’ trust (#41)

Louise Clément 1 , Emmanuel Poirel 2 , Alice Levasseur 1
  1. Faculté des sciences de l’éducation, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
  2. Faculté des sciences de l’éducation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Background. The success of academic institutions depends in particular on positive social relationships that fluctuate in terms of number and quality. They contain a complex network of interactions in which teachers exchange with others (administration, colleagues, and students) to increase their efficiency at work. Positive social relationships rely on trust as a social lubricant (Fullan, 2010). Trust is a key factor fostering collaboration and facilitating the exchange of information between parties (Hoy & Tschannen-Moran, 2003). Although many empirical studies have confirmed that transformational leadership plays a key role in teachers’ self- and collective efficacy (Leithwood & Sun, 2012), very few studies have demonstrated the mediating role of teacher trust in this relationship.  Moreover, very few studies have simultaneously examined teachers' trust in three referents with whom they collaborate regularly (administration, colleagues, and students; Clément et al., 2020). Hypotheses. Therefore, we hypothesize that teachers’ trust in administration, colleagues, and students is a necessary condition between their perception of transformational leadership and their self- and collective efficacy. Sample (size and characteristics). Teachers from nine public colleges located in the Canadian province of Quebec agreed to participate in this study and responded to an online questionnaire (n=433; 61% women; Mage = 42.11, SD = 9.35; 64% tenured; Mexperience = 11.02, SD = 8.25). Results. The results using structural equations provide support for the proposed model (χ2 = 1611.513; df = 883; CFI = .907; TLI = .901; SRMR = .055; RMSEA = .044 [.040, .047]). The model presents two mediating paths: 1) leadership → trust in colleagues → collective efficacy, estimate = .124, p < .036; 2) leadership → trust in students → self-efficacy, estimate = .079, p < .066. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research will be addressed throughout the presentation.

  1. Clément, L., Fernet, C., Morin, A.J.S. et Austin, S. (2020). In Whom College Teachers Trust? On the Role of Specific Trust Referents and Basic Psychological Needs in Optimal Functioning at Work. Higher Education, 80(3), 511-530.
  2. Fullan, M. (2010). Motion leadership: The skinny on becoming change savvy. Corwin Press.
  3. Hoy, W.K., & Tschannen-Moran, M. (2003). The conceptualization and measurement of faculty trust in schools. In W.K. Hoy, & C. Miskel (Eds.), Studies in leading and organizing schools (pp. 181-208). Information Age Publishing.
  4. Leithwood, K., & Sun, J. (2012). The nature and effects of transformational school leadership: A meta-analytic review of unpublished research. Educational Administration Quarterly, 48(3), 387-423.
  • Keywords: Education, Leadership/Management, Motivation, Positive emotions, Relationships