Relational Conditions and Leadership Practices in Cultivating a Culture of Feedback: A Phenomenological Study of School Principals

Abstract

Cultivating a culture of feedback between teachers and principals is essential to professional learning, school improvement, and teacher retention. While leadership research often focuses on how principals evaluate teachers, less attention has been given to how principals seek, reflect on, and act on feedback from teachers. This study explores how principals cultivate a culture of feedback that supports teacher voice and relational leadership. Twelve principals from two Midwestern U.S. states participated in two semi-structured interviews and completed written reflections. Using a phenomenological approach grounded in relational leadership theory, the study examined the lived experiences of principals in cultivating relational conditions where teacher feedback was safe, meaningful, and embedded in a culture of feedback. Findings revealed four relational conditions—vulnerability, listening, transparency, and trust—that supported two interconnected leadership practices: the feedback cycle and modeling the way. Together, these relational conditions and leadership practices demonstrate that a culture of feedback is cultivated intentionally through relational leadership. Findings position feedback not as a technical process but as relational and cultural. Implications are offered for principals, districts, leadership preparation programs, and researchers committed to cultivating teacher voice and trust within schools.