HED4812
ASSIGNMENT 2
DUE DATE: MAY 2026
, HED4812 ASSIGNMENT 2 2026
DUE MAY 2026
QUESTION 1
How does school leader trust directly influence collective teacher innovativeness
in fostering school improvement?
School leader trust in teachers exerts a direct and powerful influence on collective
teacher innovativeness by creating a safe, risk-supportive working environment. The
study by Dedering and Pietsch (2025) found that school leaders’ trust in their teachers
was the strongest direct predictor of teachers’ collective
innovativeness β=.456,p<.001β=.456,p<.001. This direct relationship can be understood
through several interconnected mechanisms.
Trust functions as a psychological resource that reduces the fear of failure. When
school leaders trust their teachers’ competence, integrity, benevolence, and honesty,
they signal that experimentation and even occasional mistakes are acceptable (Mayer
et al., 1995, as cited in Dedering & Pietsch, 2025). This lowers the perceived risk for
teachers to propose new teaching ideas, try unconventional problem-solving
approaches, and mutually support one another in implementing novel practices. As the
article notes, trust “enables people to take risks without fear of or undue penalty for
failure” (Chandler et al., 2000, cited in Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 16).
Trust shapes the school leader’s own behaviour in ways that directly empower teachers.
Leaders who trust their teachers are more likely to involve them in management
ASSIGNMENT 2
DUE DATE: MAY 2026
, HED4812 ASSIGNMENT 2 2026
DUE MAY 2026
QUESTION 1
How does school leader trust directly influence collective teacher innovativeness
in fostering school improvement?
School leader trust in teachers exerts a direct and powerful influence on collective
teacher innovativeness by creating a safe, risk-supportive working environment. The
study by Dedering and Pietsch (2025) found that school leaders’ trust in their teachers
was the strongest direct predictor of teachers’ collective
innovativeness β=.456,p<.001β=.456,p<.001. This direct relationship can be understood
through several interconnected mechanisms.
Trust functions as a psychological resource that reduces the fear of failure. When
school leaders trust their teachers’ competence, integrity, benevolence, and honesty,
they signal that experimentation and even occasional mistakes are acceptable (Mayer
et al., 1995, as cited in Dedering & Pietsch, 2025). This lowers the perceived risk for
teachers to propose new teaching ideas, try unconventional problem-solving
approaches, and mutually support one another in implementing novel practices. As the
article notes, trust “enables people to take risks without fear of or undue penalty for
failure” (Chandler et al., 2000, cited in Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 16).
Trust shapes the school leader’s own behaviour in ways that directly empower teachers.
Leaders who trust their teachers are more likely to involve them in management
