Communication of Faculty and Students in a College Classroom.

摘要

Communication between students and faculty is essential, yet there are major differences in the way students and faculty approach communication. There is a disconnect in communication between students and instructors, especially in traditional brick and mortar schools. Studies have shown that a disconnect exists, and approached the faculty on this topic, but little research has focused on student views of this topic. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the reasons for the disconnection in communication between students and instructors at traditional universities. This study is built around the theoretical framework of the communication process and the uncertainty reduction theory. The study population included 10 students and 10 faculty at a traditional university. Research questions were designed to explore the reasons for the disconnection between students and instructors at a traditional university and measures taken to reduce the communication disconnection between students and instructors at a traditional university. A five-phase data analysis was used to compile the information into one source, code data, reassemble or review the themes that emerged from coding, interpret data, and finally draw conclusions based on the data. Methodological triangulation and member validation added trustworthiness to this study. The findings indicated that approachability seems to be the major factor. Faculty feel they are approachable and encourage students to approach them while the students felt faculty were generally not approachable which is why many preferred email or other asynchronous communication methods. These findings can be used to give both students and faculty directions on how to better communicate with counterparts, and can be used by administration to develop training material for faculty on how to better communicate with students. Future researchers can use the findings of this study as a starting point in building a framework for more effective student-faculty and faculty-student communication. While the literature referenced a few studies on demographics, a primary finding of this research was the role played by age. A future study looking directly at how faculty-student interaction is affected by age might reveal a deeper understanding of the disconnect in communication between faculty and students.