Parent Networks as Determinants of Relational Trust
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: This study was conducted to clarify the effect of parent networks on the relational trust between parents and their children's school. Trust is an important foundation of effective schools (Tschannen-Moran, 2004). There are currently multiple schools that have set institutional visions such as “building strong trust relationships with parents.” School administrators have perceived that building trust with parents is one of the most important issues facing schools. Indeed, several studies have indicated that trust between parents and schools is crucial to school improvement (e.g., Adams, Forsyth, & Mitchell, 2009; Forsyth, Adams, & Hoy, 2011; Hoy & Tschannen-Moran, 1999; Tschannen-Moran, 2004; Tsuyuguchi, 2012). The concept of relational trust (Bryk & Schneider, 2002) is integral to the purpose of the present study. Indeed, an understanding of trust in a school requires the consideration of relational trust, which explains trust from the viewpoint of expectation and obligation (the definition of relational trust is described next section). It is important to understand the determinants of relational trust between parents and schools. Previous studies have addressed the relation between parents and schools in the following views: (1) children's adaptation to the school; (2) family's socio-economic status or family structure; and (3) communication between parents and school teachers. The main focus of this study was to establish a framework to understand how parent networks are a determinant of relational trust. It was hypothesized that parent networks in the school community will have significant effects on the relational trust between parents and schools. If this hypothesis were confirmed, school organizations' trust-building strategies would require modifications. Furthermore, trust-building strategies would need to include parent networks as well as the networks between parents and the school. Thus, trust-building strategies would be difficult to carry out in the school organization alone. Indeed, in order to implement this strategy, the assistance from the Board of Education, including the Adult Education Department, would be required.
Authors: Kenji Tsuyuguchi, Tetsuo Kuramoto
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2738142230