Whether dictated by policy or through unfortunate circumstances, high principal turnover can impact considerably on everyone in the school community. In particular, a frequent change of principal can prove to be a damaging process for teachers. Every time a new principal is appointed, teachers need to re-learn to trust their new leader. Prior research confirms that trust is a critical factor when determining positive or negative principal-teacher relationships during succession (Meyer et al., 2011), as well as an important descriptor of successful and sustainable leadership (Pashiardis & Savvides, 2014). Although findings have revealed that some principals may remain fixed in one stage, less research, however, has been conducted to determine which factors control the movement from one stage to the other and the impact this might have in ensuring a less turbulent succession process, paving the way for school leadership that is both effective and sustainable.

This study explores how teachers re-learn to trust new principals in schools that have experienced high principal turnover and uses the Four-stages-of-trust framework developed by Meyer et al. (2011) to explain the development and trajectory patterns of this trust. This framework includes four stages: Role trust, Practice trust, Integrative trust and Correlative trust (Macmillan et al., 2005). This study also focusses on the assumption that trust can be better understood as a fluid continuum, rather than a hierarchical structure as earlier suggested.

This study aimed to answer the following research questions: 1. What are some of the characteristics that define each stage of trust? 2. What factors determine the move from one stage of trust to the other? 3. What are the implications of this process in the quest for sustainable leadership, particularly during the current pandemic? This research was conducted in two schools in Melbourne, Australia and forms part of a larger study looking into teacher perceptions of new principals. This study used a qualitative case-study methodology where purposeful sampling was used to identify schools that had experienced a change of principal in the last 24 months. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews of teachers and principals, school observations, and archival documents. Using the above continuum as a framework, data were analysed using a cross-case inductive approach where emerging themes pertaining to trust were categorised into one of the four stages of the framework.

The study revealed that characteristics such as principals’ qualifications and prior experience determine teachers’ Role trust and that this type of trust was established before the principal took on the job. Other characteristics pertaining to other stages such as principals’ dealing with staff and student well-being issues as well as principals’ explicit communication of their set of beliefs proved pivotal in the development of Practice and Integrative trust. In addition, the data revealed that time is the biggest factor in transitioning from Integrative to Correlative trust. At the same time, the study exposed little evidence to suggest Correlative trust can be attained within 24 months of new principals assuming the role. Finally, a transition within a continuum that is context-sensitive and well-paced has the potential to ensure the advancement of school leadership that can be deemed as both successful and sustainable. Given the importance of trust as a catalyst for positive and smooth leadership transitions, this type of knowledge is even more important during the current uncertain times.

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