...This quantitative descriptive study aimed to identify the influence of trust towards leaders on the relationship between constructive feedback and self-efficacy of teaching. In particular, the objective of this study was to identify whether the affective- and cognition-based trust towards leaders to become a mediator in the relationship between constructive feedback and self-efficacy of teaching. A total of 411 lecturers randomly selected from the five polytechnics which successfully obtained an overall excellent performance including academic standards and quality management through the recognition of the polytechnic ratings. Data for this survey were collected through a questionnaire which was adapted from an instrument used by Steelman, Levy, and Snell (2004), McAllister (1995), and Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (2001). The results of multiple regression analysis showed that trust towards leaders influence positively and significantly on constructive feedback and self-efficacy of teaching. Trust towards leaders acts as a mediator on the relationship between constructive feedback and self-efficacy of teaching. In terms of the implications of this study show the role of the middle leader is especially important in fostering the trust among his followers to ensure that the feedback received and used effectively in developing the followers’ potential.

1. An Examination of Constructive Feedback,
Trust towards Leaders and Self-Efficacy of
Teaching in Education Organizations
Ying-Leh Ling & Abdul Ghani Kanesan Abdullah

2. Introduction
In line with the government's efforts to achieve the objectives of high-income countries,
the country needs 1.5 million employees in the Technical Education and Vocational Training
(TVET) in 2020.
This is because the global job market shows that there is an increasing demand for
technicians and semi-skilled group in the field of technical and vocational education.
However, employment analysis of polytechnic graduates from 2006 until 2013 indicating
the quality of lecturers should be strengthened in view of the polytechnic graduates is
still far from the target set.
To produce graduates with high-performance, every educational institution should have
competent educators and committed to the profession. The criteria emphasized self-
efficacious because the educators believed to see the objective of teaching every day as
a challenge (Chemers, Hu, & Garcia, 2001).

3. Introduction
In improving teaching self-efficacy, feedback has been identified as an important
component in improving the quality of work continuously for feedback contains
elements that support the learning that tends to increase the performance
significantly (Shea & Howell, 1999).
Therefore, leaders must be able to channel the feedback effectively to influence the
performance of followers in the organization. This action is necessary to create a
healthy psychological situation of the organization (Shamir, House, & Arthur, 1993).
Argument of Shamir et al. (1993) and Shea and Howell (1999) also describes the
impact of leadership on follower performance becomes more clear if no feedbacks
on tasks is compared to a significant task feedbacks.

4. Introduction
Leaders who do not earn the trust of his followers will not be able to lead effectively
(Brewster & Railsback, 2003).
Moreover, trust in the leaders will be able to promote open interaction between
leaders and followers (Geist & Hoy, 2004).
It gives the impression that the leaders could be expected and cares for his people.
In turn, this will convince followers to give ongoing commitment in his career.
Indirectly, trust in leaders is essential in improving teaching self-efficacy.

5. Constructive Feedback
Constructive and meaningful feedback may lead to successful teaching and
learning as well as satisfaction. Feedback needs to be systematically provided to
teachers who are engaged in delivering the teaching to the students (Ovando, 1994).
Constructive feedback is considered valuable if it helps individuals achieve the
targets set. Feedback should be given openly and respect as it affects job
satisfaction and willingness of individuals within the organization (Blader & Tyler,
2009; Sommer & Kulkarni, 2012).

6. Trust towards Leaders
Trust has been defined as the ability of a party to take the risk of trusting
someone else, regardless of the consequences he would face as a result of such
behavior (Nelson-Jones, 2003; Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2000).
By having a high trust in the leader, followers typically more likely to engage in
behaviors that help the organization although it is not their responsibility
(Burke,, Sims, Lassara, Salas, 2007).
This study uses a two-dimensional model of trust of McAllister (1995), which says
trust in the leader involves affective trust and cognitive trust. It was chosen as the
model two-dimensional trust McAllister (1995) have empirically tested and approved
for the use in various industrial environments and different geographic locations
(Schaubroeck, Lam, & Peng, 2011).

7. Self-Efficacy of Teaching
In the context of education, Bandura (1986) refers teachers self-efficacy as confidence
in their ability to learn, to conduct the required level, manage tasks, and obtain the
desired result.
Self-perception among teachers to bring positive change to student learning (Ross,
Cousins, Gadalla, and Hannay, 1999).
In this research, teaching self-efficacy refers to the ability of educators in designing
teaching strategies to improve student engagement and classroom
management, student discipline and resolve problems.

8. Research Objectives
This study specifically aimed to identify the influence of trust in leaders as
mediators in the relationship between feedback environment with
teaching self-efficacy.

9. Research Methodology

10. Research Methodology
This study used a questionnaire which was built by previous researchers.
The questionnaire was divided into four parts namely Part A (3 items) to obtain demographic data of
respondents, Part B (6 items) to measure the constructive feedback in a work environment, Section C
(10 items) is about trust towards leaders, and Section D (9 items) on teaching self-efficacy.
Part B has been adapted from Feedback Environment Scale developed by Steelman et al. (2004) to
diagnose the feedback process that occurs in an organizational setting.
For the purpose of measuring the variables of trust in the leader (Part C), the instrument Affect- and
Cognition-based Trust of McAllister (1995) were used in this study.
For Part D, the instrument has been adapted from the short version of the instrument Teachers' Sense
of Efficacy Scale (TSE) which has been developed by Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (2001) to measure the
self-efficacy of teaching.
Leaders in this study refers to the middle leader in educational organizations, Chief Program / Course
Coordinators. The questionnaire in this study using a seven-point Likert scale.

11. Research Methodology
Data analysis
At the first stage, a descriptive analysis was carried out to get an idea of the
distribution of the sample.
Frequencies and percentages were used to describe demographic characteristics of respondents.
Cronbach's alpha reliability test is used to determine the reliability of the instrument used. The
reliability of this instrument is high and constant with Cronbach's alpha values obtained are within
the range of 0.93 to 0.97.
In the second stage, inferential analysis was used to test the hypotheses of the
study.
To see the effect of mediator trust towards the leaders on the relationship between feedback
environment and teaching self-efficacy, the method of multiple regression analysis were used.

12. Results
Constructive feedback has a
significant effect on self-
efficacy of teaching without
affective-based trust (β = .28, p
<.05) and significantly on
teaching self-efficacy with
affective-based trust (β = .16 ,
p <.05) and the beta coefficient
is reduced.
This shows affective-based
trust acts as a partial mediator
towards constructive feedback
and teaching self-efficacy.

13. Results
Constructive feedback has a
significant effect on self-efficacy of
teaching without cognitive-based
trust (β = .21, p <.05), and no
significant effect on self-efficacy of
teaching with cognitive-based trust
(β = .10, p <.05) and the beta
coefficient is reduced.
This shows the cognitive-based trust
has acted as complete mediator to
constructive feedback and teaching
self-efficacy.

14. Discussions
The study showed affective-based trust towards leaders acts as a partial mediator, while cognitive-
based trust towards leaders act as a complete mediator on the relationship between feedback
environment and teaching self-efficacy.
Cognitive-based trust were found to have a direct impact on teaching self-efficacy compared
with affective-based trust that act indirectly.
These findings suggest that cognitive-based trust developed through followers on the
personal characteristics of the leader's leadership translates into positive results for the
organization's work and not affective-based trust which developed through the
concern and care among leaders and followers alone.

15. Conclusion
Although this study demonstrates trust towards leaders play an important role in
generating positive employment outcomes among followers in general, leaders
should be aware that in particular cognitive-based trust towards leaders can have a
direct effect on self-efficacy among his followers compared with affective-based trust
towards the leaders.