A matter of trust: An ecosystem of action for school improvement

Trust is foundational to qualitative inquiry, shaping both the credibility of research processes and the applicability of findings. This paper revisits a qualitative case study on school improvement practices in Ghanaian Junior High Schools (JHSs) through a trust-centered analytical lens. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with teachers, headteachers, and School Improvement Support Officers (SISOs) in Gomoa West and Gomoa Central districts, the original study identified a four-dimensional model of school improvement encompassing school-focused, teacher-focused, instruction-focused, and community-focused strategies. This paper advances the analysis by positioning trust as both a methodological imperative and a substantive driver of educational reform. Anchored in Relational Trust Theory and the trustworthiness framework in qualitative research, the study demonstrates how trust was constructed through ethical engagement, reflexivity, and participant validation, and how it underpins collaboration and accountability among stakeholders. The paper contributes to qualitative research methodology and educational leadership scholarship by highlighting trust as a transformative force in context-sensitive reform efforts, particularly in resource-constrained educational systems.

Keywords: trust, qualitative inquiry, relational trust, school improvement, Ghana, case study