Explaining the Effects of Resilience on the Flourishing of School Principals in Khorramabad: Testing the Mediating Role of Trust

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

2 PhD student in Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.

Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of resilience on the professional flourishing of school principals in Khorramabad County, and the mediating role of trust, amidst the increasing challenges within the educational system. Drawing upon psychological capital theory and employing a descriptive-correlational approach using structural equation modeling (SEM), data were collected from a statistical population of 1,252 school principals in Khorramabad. A sample of 297 individuals was estimated using the Krejcie and Morgan table and selected via stratified random sampling. Standardized questionnaires were used for data collection. The results indicated that resilience (including its psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions) has a positive and significant effect on principals' flourishing ($\beta = 0.318, p < 0.001$). Furthermore, resilience significantly influences principals' trust in their colleagues ($\beta = 0.491, p < 0.001$), and this trust, in turn, positively and significantly affects principals' flourishing ($\beta = 0.305, p < 0.001$). More importantly, the mediating role of trust in the relationship between resilience and principals' flourishing was confirmed ($\beta = 0.150, p < 0.001$). These findings highlight the importance of multi-dimensional resilience in principals and the necessity of strengthening organizational trust as a prerequisite for achieving prosperous and resilient schools, especially within the framework of Iran's Fundamental Transformation Document of Education. This underscores the need for designing integrated empowerment programs.

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Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 25 July 2026