Assessing Elementary Teachers' Attitudes About Internal Communication in a K-12 Public School District and How They Impact Trust and Engagement

Date of Award

8-1-2024

Degree Name

Ed.D. in Leadership for Organizations

Department

Department of Educational Administration

Advisor/Chair

Meredith Wronowski

Abstract

This research project aims to understand what elementary teachers need from internal communication systems to promote trust and engagement within their school and across the district. The data for this project was collected through a sequential mixed-method approach that included a survey of all elementary teachers in the school district, as well as 5 one-on-one interviews with elementary teachers. Reasons for understanding teachers’ attitudes about communication within the organization include the impact on teachers’ trust within the organization and teacher’s engagement within the organization. Additionally, teachers’ satisfaction with the amount of information being shared with them is shown to be positively associated with their attitudes about communication. Themes identified in the research speak to the importance of efficiency and clarity in communication, the desire of the team to be equipped with knowledge, and timeliness and transparency as being key to trust and engagement. These findings indicate the need for schools to establish clear communication channels, but to also engage teachers in sensemaking opportunities and collaborative message building.

Keywords

internal communication; trust; engagement; elementary teachers; public school; communication strategy

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2024, author.

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