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The purpose of this study was to introduce teacher epistemic curiosity for student learning into the leadership literature and to determine if school principals can support it. The inquiry was organized by the following research question: In what ways can principal–teacher conversations support teacher epistemic curiosity for student learning? The research question guided the review of literature on epistemic curiosity, eventually leading to the leadership practice of transformative leadership conversation (TLC). A hypothesized model on the relationship between TLC and epistemic curiosity for student learning was advanced from research on student and employee curiosity and self-determination theory.

The hypothesized model was tested with a correlational research design. Teacher survey data were collected in December 2023 from a random sample of certified public school teachers from a metropolitan area in a southwestern state of the USA. Usable survey responses were received from 2,022 teachers, resulting in a 55% response rate. The hypothesized model was tested with structural equation modeling in AMOS 28 using robust maximum likelihood estimation. The latent models include measurement and structural components.

Results confirm the hypothesized relationships among TLC, need-satisfaction and teacher epistemic curiosity. TLC and need-satisfaction both had strong, direct relationships with teacher epistemic curiosity for student learning. TLC explained approximately 20% of the variance in teacher curiosity and need-satisfaction explained approximately 18%. The combined model accounted for approximately 55% of the variance in teacher epistemic curiosity.

The study emerged from robust evidence on the essential function of curiosity for knowing, learning, performance and life well-being, as well as limited research on social processes that leaders can leverage to stimulate teachers’ motivation to understand how their students learn. Curiosity is an inner energy behind learning; it fuels an innate drive to explore, know, create, design and adapt to our surroundings. Schools and classrooms come to life when teachers and students engage in learning from a place of curiosity, making this motivational resource worthy of leadership attention.

This study addressed a relatively understudied process of school leadership: the principal-teacher conversation about instructional change. Two distinct conversation structures were examined: controlling conversation and transformative leadership conversation (TLC). Self-determination theory (SDT) was used to make the case that TLC is a better fit for instructional change than controlling conversation. Hypotheses were developed on the relationship between principal-teacher conversation and teacher trust in the principal, teacher autonomy and teacher vitality. These mental states were identified for empirical testing because of their influence on change processes.

The empirical study used a correlational research design with survey data. The data came from a random sample of 2,500 teachers from the population of certified teachers in a southwestern state in the USA. Useable survey responses were obtained from 1,615 teachers, for a response rate of 65 percent. Teachers in the sample averaged 15 years of teaching experience, with 7 years in their current school. Around 81% of teachers identified as female and 18 percent as male and 79% of teachers listed a racial identification as white. Hypotheses were tested in a path model using AMOS 28.0 with robust maximum likelihood (MLR).

As hypothesized, TLC had moderate to strong positive relationships with teacher trust in the principal, teacher autonomy and teacher vitality. Controlling conversation had small, negative relationships with teacher trust in the principal and teacher autonomy. Controlling conversation was not related to teacher vitality in the path analysis. Compared with controlling conversation, TLC had stronger relationships with teacher mental states.

The results of this study begin to reveal useful evidence on the inherent social-psychological mechanisms active in principal-teacher conversations. With results indicating that conversation structure has consequences for positive teacher mental states, the study directs attention to a ubiquitous yet understudied leadership process.

The study begins by defining and conceptualizing Transformative Leadership Conversation (TLC). The conceptualization addresses the meaning of transformation, sensemaking and learning dialogue, and the conversation structures of framing, questioning and listening, and affirming. Next, the authors build a theoretical argument from self-determination theory on the function of TLC. The study concludes with an empirical test of the structure and function of TLC.

There were two parts to the empirical study. First, the authors designed and tested a scale to measure TLC by its structural features (e.g. questioning, listening and affirming language). Second, the authors used a correlational design with ex-post facto data to test the primary assumption that TLC activates autonomous motivation and action. Data came from a random sample of 2,500 teachers in a southwestern state. Useable responses were obtained from 1,615 teachers, for a response rate of 65%.

The empirical tests reveal that the 12-item and 6-item measure of the School Leader Transformative Conversation Scale present valid and reliable evidence on the frequent use of TLC. Consistent with the hypothesized model, TLC had a direct, positive relationship with teacher vitality. It also had a negative relationship with autonomy frustration and a positive indirect effect on teacher vitality by reducing the negative effect of autonomy frustration.

TLC advances a new conceptual lens to study school leadership as a discursive process. The concept opens lines of inquiry that have not yet been examined in school settings.

The purpose of this study was to establish a line of inquiry into student trust in school peers by: (1) developing a valid and reliable measure and (2) investigating the potential influence of student trust in school peers on optimal school functioning.

A non-experimental, survey research design was used. Ex-post facto data were collected in the spring of 2017 and spring of 2019 from a random sample of students in either the 5th, 7th, 9th or 11th grades in 79 schools located in a southwestern city in the US. Two types of analyses were performed. First, structural and convergent validity of the items measuring student trust in school peers were tested with a confirmatory factor analysis, and correlations with bullying and safety. The second analysis tested a hypothesized model with a full structural equation model using robust maximum likelihood estimation.

Confirmatory factor analysis results report that items used to measure student trust in school peers share common variance with the latent trust factor. Both the 10-item and five-item measures had good model fit and parameter estimates. Additionally, the five-item measure had strong relationships with bullying and safety. As specified in the hypothesized model, student trust in peers had a strong, positive relationship with identification with school and positive, yet not as strong, of a relationship with academic grit. These relationships existed when accounting for student perceived teacher support.

This study extends trust research to students' relational connections by conceptualizing student trust in school peers as a cognitive belief, constructing a valid measure and finding a relationship between student–peer trust and elements optimal school functioning.

This study was designed to test the relationship between principal support of student psychological needs and faculty trust in students. Without direct empirical evidence to draw from, the line of reasoning integrated evidence on social-cognitive processes involved in trust formation and conversation theory to advance two hypotheses: (1) After accounting for school and leadership conditions, principal support of student psychological needs will be related to school differences in faculty trust in students; (2) The relationship between principal support of student psychological needs and faculty trust in students is mediated by a positive view of the teaching task.

Hypotheses were tested with a nonexperimental, correlational research design using ex post facto data. Due to the hierarchical structure of the data, hypotheses were tested with a 2-2-1 multilevel mediation model in HLM 7.03 with restricted maximum likelihood estimation.

Findings were consistent with the hypothesized relationships – principal support of student psychological needs was related to faculty trust in students and this relationship was mediated by teacher perceptions of the teaching task.

School research has primarily examined interpersonal antecedents of trust, focusing on behaviors and characteristics that position a person or group as trustworthy. This study extends trust research to the cognitive side of the formation process, calling attention to the function of mental representation in shaping trust discernments. Results suggest that cognitive processes hold promise as both a source of faculty trust in students and as a malleable mental structure that school leaders can shape through conversation.