Trust Building Within the Instructional Coaching Process: An Existential Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this existential phenomenological study was to understand how teachers experience the trust-building process as they work with instructional coaches. Relational trust theory drove the work done for the study as it structures the elements necessary to build trust in the workplace. This qualitative study explored the experiences of teachers as they work with instructional coaches and their perceptions of how trust is built or areas that may interfere with the building of a trusting relationship. Participants were selected through the use of a group on the social media platform, Facebook. Targeted teachers were secondary teachers that have experience in working with an instructional coach. Data collection consisted of a journal entry, a semi-structured interview, and a focus group semi-structured interview. Multiple forms of coding were utilized to look for emerging patterns and themes. Themes that emerged in the findings of the study include self-interest, ambiguity, and support as elements that influenced how teachers built trust with their instructional coaches.