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1. How does school leader trust directly influence collective teacher innovativeness in fostering
school improvement?
Based on the article by Dedering and Pietsch (2025), school leader trust directly influences collective
teacher innovativeness as a significant and powerful prerequisite for school improvement.
The study’s structural equation modelling revealed that school leader trust in teachers was the
strongest direct predictor of collective teacher innovativeness (Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 365).
Specifically, the direct effect was substantial (β=.456,p<.001), and the total effect of trust on
innovativeness was also significant (β=.534), with 85.4% of this effect being direct rather than
indirect (Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 366).
This direct relationship fosters school improvement because collective teacher innovativeness
encompasses teachers’ “reciprocity, openness, and willingness to embrace change,” including
developing new teaching ideas, solving problems, and mutually supporting new implementations
(Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 352). When school leaders trust their teachers’ competence, honesty,
and commitment, teachers are more likely to interpret leadership behaviours as supportive, take risks,
and engage in experimentation without fear of undue penalty for failure (Dedering & Pietsch, 2025,
p. 355). This climate directly enhances teachers’ readiness for change, which is critical for schools to
dynamically adapt and improve amidst constantly changing social, technological, and natural
conditions (Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 351).
1. How does school leader trust directly influence collective teacher innovativeness in fostering
school improvement?
Based on the article by Dedering and Pietsch (2025), school leader trust directly influences collective
teacher innovativeness as a significant and powerful prerequisite for school improvement.
The study’s structural equation modelling revealed that school leader trust in teachers was the
strongest direct predictor of collective teacher innovativeness (Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 365).
Specifically, the direct effect was substantial (β=.456,p<.001), and the total effect of trust on
innovativeness was also significant (β=.534), with 85.4% of this effect being direct rather than
indirect (Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 366).
This direct relationship fosters school improvement because collective teacher innovativeness
encompasses teachers’ “reciprocity, openness, and willingness to embrace change,” including
developing new teaching ideas, solving problems, and mutually supporting new implementations
(Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 352). When school leaders trust their teachers’ competence, honesty,
and commitment, teachers are more likely to interpret leadership behaviours as supportive, take risks,
and engage in experimentation without fear of undue penalty for failure (Dedering & Pietsch, 2025,
p. 355). This climate directly enhances teachers’ readiness for change, which is critical for schools to
dynamically adapt and improve amidst constantly changing social, technological, and natural
conditions (Dedering & Pietsch, 2025, p. 351).
