Out-Group and In-Group Relational Trust in Group Coaching with First-Grade Teachers: A Single Case Study

Authors

• Jentry S. Barrett, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• Rachel E. Schachter, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• Jungwon Eum, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• Gwen Nugent, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
• Kathleen M. Rudasill, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow

ORCID IDs

Barrett 0000-0001-9152-8430

Schachter 0000-0003-3951-858X

Eum 0000-0002-8873-8880

Nugent 0000-0003-3949-7934

Rudasill 0000-0002-9415-8575

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2026

Citation

Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 47:3 (2026), pp. 585–605

doi: 10.1080/ 10901027.2025.2476698

Comments

Copyright © 2025 NAECTE. Published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis. Used by permission.

Abstract

Coaching has become a prominent professional learning tool for helping early childhood teachers (birth–8) implement curriculum and research-based practices in their classrooms. One coaching strategy that supports positive changes in teacher practice and child outcomes is building trust between the coach and teacher(s). However, there is limited understanding of the nature of trust-building in coaching, particularly in group coaching configurations. There are two types of trust to consider in the context of group coaching: out-group trust between an outside coach and the teachers, and in-group trust between the teachers experiencing coaching who already have a relationship. This case study aimed to explore the nature of out-group trust between the coach and teachers (n = 2) and the in-group trust between the teachers in a group coaching context over a 10-week social-emotional classroom intervention. Using multiple analytic approaches, we found that the high in-group trust between the teachers created a foundation for developing out-group trust between the teachers and coach. Importantly, the coach used specific coaching strategies to build and deepen out-group trust with the teachers. Over time, the coach transformed the out-group trust into in-group trust. Implications for early childhood coaching, research, and teacher preparation are also discussed.