How Education Administrators Use Trust To Motivate Their Teachers
Written by Abena Sey
October 17, 2020
When someone wants to achieve a goal for personal satisfaction, they are driven by internal motivational factors. In this case, an individual acts because of the duty itself, and requires no external force to control his/her behaviour. This motivation is inspired by one’s personal needs and desires such as personal fulfillment, interest, or curiosity. Conversely, behaviour that is driven by factors beyond one’s control, such as incentive targets or reinforcement, is called external motivation (Erdem, A. R. & Cicekdemir, 2016). Effective leaders utilize both intrinsic and external motivation techniques to guide their staff to work towards the overall vision of the school.
School administrators should use various motivational techniques to guide their staff to achieve school goals. Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence are primary sources to build relationships with one’s followers and gain support. Equally important is the school administrator’s commitment to lifelong learning and expecting the same attitude towards learning in their teachers.
Developing trust with his/her teachers is an important strategy a school administrator uses to positively impact behaviour. According to a study by Feng (2016), a school principal’s demonstration of authentic leadership develops trusting relationships between them. In the study, the teachers interviewed place significant value on the behaviours of their administration that prove trustworthiness; trustworthiness positively affected their “psychological capital.” The positive attitudes displayed by teachers motivated the principal to work to create positive relationships with them. As demonstrated in this study, motivating teachers through trust contributes to a positive school environment. Trust is the catalyst for positive school engagement for both teachers and their principal.
Trust helps teachers feel secure and enables them to put greater effort on educational goals (Balyer 2017). Teachers who feel supported by their principal “can do their best and [feel] that they can be promoted by [him/her]” (Balyer 2017). A school administrator will bring out the best in his/her teachers when he/she ensures a trusting environment that encourages participation, learning, and a mutually respectful relationship.
References
Balyer, A. Trust in School Principals: Teachers' Opinions. Journal of Education and Learning, v6 n2 p317-325 2017
Erdem, A. R. & Cicekdemir, I. Opinions of Primary and Secondary School Principals about Internal and External Motivation. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, n64 p157-172 2016
Feng, Feng-I. School Principals' Authentic Leadership and Teachers' Psychological Capital: Teachers' Perspectives. International Education Studies, v9 n10 p245-255 2016