Dimitri Van Maele

The Quality of School Life: Teacher-Student Trust Relationships and the Organizational School Context

In exploring the quality of schools’ social system, this study provides insight into in which types of schools students may encounter barriers in developing supportive teacher-student relationships because of teachers exposing low levels of trust in students. Student culture and teachability perceptions are assessed as incentives for teachers’ perceptions of students’ trustworthiness. Information was gathered from 2,104 teachers across a representative sample of 84 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium). A measure for trust in students was derived from the trust scales developed by Hoy and Tschannen-Moran. Multilevel analyses reveal that teacher perceptions of students’ teachability strongly predict teacher trust. This underscores the importance of teacher perceptions of students’ ability to meet the expectations imposed on them with regard to the formation of trust. Additionally, we show that teacher trust is affected by the organizational school context, although the academic orientation of the student culture plays no role.

The Black Box Revelation: In Search of Conceptual Clarity regarding Climate and Culture in School Effectiveness Research.

Since the 1970s, school effectiveness research has looked for process-variables filling the black box between mainly structural school features and cognitive outcomes in students. Two concepts came to the fore: school climate and school culture. Both concepts are currently used interchangeably, although it is open to debate whether both are actually the same thing. Because of the way culture and climate are defined and subsequently measured, we propose school culture is a better frame from which to study school effectiveness. This article goes through the premises of perceptual measurement usually overlooked in climate research, and we demonstrate empirically by means of very basic and simple methods and techniques that perceptual measurement and measurement based on assumptions are different approaches and might yield totally different results on an aggregated level. We conclude by demonstrating how culture can be probed and integrated in the models traditionally used in school effectiveness research in ...Since the 1970s, school effectiveness research has looked for process-variables filling the black box between mainly structural school features and cognitive outcomes in students. Two concepts came to the fore: school climate and school culture. Both concepts are currently used interchangeably, although it is open to debate whether both are actually the same thing. Because of the way culture and climate are defined and subsequently measured, we propose school culture is a better frame from which to study school effectiveness. This article goes through the premises of perceptual measurement usually overlooked in climate research, and we demonstrate empirically by means of very basic and simple methods and techniques that perceptual measurement and measurement based on assumptions are different approaches and might yield totally different results on an aggregated level. We conclude by demonstrating how culture can be probed and integrated in the models traditionally used in school effectiveness research in an advantageous and theoretically sound way.

Collegial Trust and the Organizational Context of the Teacher Workplace: The Role of a Homogeneous Teachability Culture

This study explores how structural, compositional, and cultural characteristics of the teacher workplace affect an individual teacher’s trust in colleagues. In particular, we investigate whether a homogeneous staff culture facilitates trust among teachers. Multilevel analyses on data of 2,104 teachers across a representative sample of 84 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium) reveal that collegial trust is fostered when teachers agree on the teachability of the students in school. A mesomediation model demonstrates that the presence of a less homogeneous teachability culture explains the lower levels of collegial trust in socioeconomically disadvantaged schools. Our findings suggest that school leaders should focus on developing similar and positive conceptions among their teachers about students’ teachability, in order to build social capital within the teaching staff to benefit student learning.This study explores how structural, compositional, and cultural characteristics of the teacher workplace affect an individual teacher’s trust in colleagues. In particular, we investigate whether a homogeneous staff culture facilitates trust among teachers. Multilevel analyses on data of 2,104 teachers across a representative sample of 84 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium) reveal that collegial trust is fostered when teachers agree on the teachability of the students in school. A mesomediation model demonstrates that the presence of a less homogeneous teachability culture explains the lower levels of collegial trust in socioeconomically disadvantaged schools. Our findings suggest that school leaders should focus on developing similar and positive conceptions among their teachers about students’ teachability, in order to build social capital within the teaching staff to benefit student learning.

Trust in School: A Pathway to Inhibit Teacher Burnout?.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider trust as an important relational source in schools by exploring whether trust lowers teacher burnout. The authors examine how trust relationships with different school parties such as the principal relate to distinct dimensions of teacher burnout. The authors further analyze whether school-level trust additionally influences burnout. In doing this, the authors account for other teacher and school characteristics. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use quantitative data gathered during the 2008-2009 school year from 673 teachers across 58 elementary schools in Flanders (i.e. the northern Dutch-speaking region of Belgium). Because teacher and school characteristics are simultaneously related to burnout, multilevel modeling is applied. Findings – Trust can act as a buffer against teacher burnout. Teachers’ trust in students demonstrates the strongest association with burnout compared to trust in principals or colleagues. Exploring relationships of tru...

Does Students' Machismo Fit in School? Clarifying the Implications of Traditional Gender Role Ideology for School Belonging.

How much students feel at home in school predicts academic outcomes. In view of the gender achievement gap, it is worth examining the gendered pattern of this school belonging. Studies on school belonging, however, have barely acknowledged possible obstructive effects of traditional gender role attitudes of individual students and student cultures. This study examines the relationship between gender role attitudes and a sense of school belonging among a sample of 6380 students from 59 Flemish schools at the start of their secondary education. The results of multilevel analyses indicate that boys show less sense of school belonging than girls, as do students with more traditional beliefs about gender roles. Moreover, student attitudes related to gender roles are strongly shared at the school level, so that we can speak of a gender role student culture. Students enrolled in more traditional gender role student cultures reveal less school belonging.

Introduction: Trust as a Matter of Equity and Excellence in Education

The number of educational studies exploring trust relationships in school has been growing ever since the mid ‘80s. In this chapter, the authors shed light on how the topic has been established as a solid item on the educational research agenda. Three lines of inquiry can be distinguished across the literature: trust conceptualizations, antecedents, and consequences. It is argued that not only trust should be investigated at several levels of analysis, but equally its antecedents. The authors suggest that exploring the nature of school culture is a promising approach to explain associations between the school context and trust. Findings about these associations demonstrate that trust is fragile in particular school contexts and that trust development in these contexts could enhance equity in education. Furthermore the authors point out that trust contributes to four interrelated key areas of school life: learning, teaching, leading, and bridging. They specify this in outlining the consequences of teacher and faculty trust for the school and its members. Through its influence on these key areas, trust fosters excellence in schooling. Therefore, and because trust strengthens schools’ adaptive capacity to deal with change, it is concluded that the continued study of trust in schools is recommended in the further search for equity and excellence in education.

Teacher Trust in Students and the Organizational School Context: The Role of Student Culture and Teachability Perceptions

In exploring the quality of schools’ social system, this study provides insight into in which types of schools students may encounter barriers in developing supportive teacher-student relationships because of teachers exposing low levels of trust in students. Student culture and teachability perceptions are assessed as incentives for teachers’ perceptions of students’ trustworthiness. Information was gathered from 2,104 teachers across a representative sample of 84 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium). Multilevel analyses reveal that teacher perceptions of students’ teachability strongly predict teacher trust. This underscores the importance of teacher perceptions of students’ ability to meet the expectations imposed on them with regard to the formation of trust. Additionally, we show that teacher trust is affected by the organizational school context, although the study orientation of the student culture plays no role.