Date of Conferral

3-30-2026

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Ioan  Ionas

Abstract

Low teacher retention rates and teacher shortages have burdened independent schools. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of leadership support, a component of psychological safety, as one of the primary reasons for teachers leaving the profession. Grounded in Edmondson’s psychological safety theory, this quantitative, correlational study examined the relationship between PK-12 independent school teachers’ perceptions of psychological safety and its dimensions, as measured by Plouffe et al.’s Psychological Safety Inventory (PSI) on a 5-point Likert scale, and the perceived level of administrator support, measured on a 10-point researcher-created scale. Data collected from 120 PK-12 independent school teachers via an anonymous online survey were analyzed using six linear regression analyses, one for the overall PSI score and one for each of the five dimensions. Administrator support was significantly associated with overall psychological safety, explaining 86.6% of the variance (R2 = .866, p < 0.001). Furthermore, administrator support was significantly associated with each of the five PSI dimensions with large effect sizes: mutual trust and respect (R2 = .827, p < 0.001); supportive leadership (R2 = .801, p < 0.001); interpersonal risk-taking (R2 = .702, p < 0.001); clarity and identity in team context (R2 = .696, p < 0.001); and organizational and structural support (R2 = .420, p < 0.001). This study may contribute to positive social change by providing independent school leaders with data on how to support teacher well-being with psychological safety. When leaders create psychologically safe schools, the impact extends to the entire school community: leaders benefit from reduced hiring and onboarding costs; teachers develop greater skills and confidence in instruction; and, ultimately, students benefit from teacher continuity.

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