Feeling heard and respected: relational trust and teacher wellbeing in Australian schools

This qualitative study explores how Australian teachers experience relational trust in their everyday school relationships, how these experiences influence their wellbeing (if at all), and the factors that they describe as fostering or hindering trust. Guided by a social capital lens, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 teachers, and the data were thematically analysed. The findings show that when relational trust was strong, namely the confidence teachers have in their colleagues and leaders, teachers were more likely to feel safe, supported, valued, and secure in their roles. Trust was fostered in school environments that were calm, consistent, and predictable, with clear expectations, processes, values, and authentic collegial relationships. Conversely, teachers’ experiences of isolation, exclusion, inadequate support from school leaders, and limited opportunities for decision-making diminished trust, weakened social capital, and undermined wellbeing. Drawing on teachers’ voices, this study adds to the wellbeing literature by demonstrating how relational trust can serve as a foundation for promoting teacher wellbeing in the Australian context.