Constructing The Student-Teacher Identities Through Mobile Phone Text Messages

摘要

Mobile phones are ubiquitous and short message service (SMS) has become a major mode of communication is many aspects of everyday life. People use mobile phones for a variety of reasons. Foremost is the more efficient, quicker and cheaper communication compared with other communicationtechnologies. Mobile phones are popular particularly among teenagers and young adults. Studies have shown that young adults’ use of mobile phones has given rise to new forms of interaction called “micro-coordination” which is the coordination of meetings as the need arises;and “hyper-coordination” which relates to emotional and social presentation of self. Using the qualitative research design, this study looked into selected SMS exchanges between college students and their teachers to understand the social realities constituted in textual conversations.Specifically, the study attempted to (1) inquire into the meanings students attach to text messaging with their teachers as surfaced in the text messages, and (2) surface relationships and identities constituted in the text messages. Text exchanges of students and their teachers were collectedand analyzed using textual analysis framed by the lens of semiotics. Findings indicate forms of coordination, students’ self-awareness and the constitution of the student-teacher relationship framed in Filipino notions of “family”.