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Digitalized Communication Between Teachers and Students: An Ethnomethodological Study



Author(s)

Aaron Benjamin T. Porras, Clara N. Michelena, Wilter C. Friales

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DOI:10.17265/2159-5542/2026.01.005

Notre Dame of Marbel University, Koronadal City, Philippines

This study examined digitalized teacher-student communication on Facebook Messenger at Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) amid limited institutional guidance on boundaries, etiquette, and professional conduct in online academic interactions. Using a qualitative ethnomethodological design, the researchers collected (1) naturally occurring Messenger screenshots of school-related conversations and (2) in-depth semi-structured interviews. Participants included five full-time college teachers and five students (one pair from each of NDMU’s five colleges). Chats were transcribed verbatim, preserving emojis, punctuation, capitalization, and message timing, then analyzed through corpus-based coding and ethnomethodological interpretation; interview data underwent modified thematic analysis to elaborate and validate corpus patterns. Findings show that digital communication extends classroom interaction beyond physical spaces while preserving institutional roles: Teachers remained authoritative yet approachable, and students maintained deference through polite markers and careful tone management. Participants used interactional cues (e.g., emojis, capitalization, acknowledgments, clarifications, and response timing) to express emotion, manage misunderstandings, and sustain relational harmony without dissolving professional boundaries. The study produced a data-driven framework describing how authority, warmth, boundary-setting, and instructional coordination are co-constructed to support academic clarity, relational trust, and digital professionalism.

digitalized communication, teacher-student interaction, academic interaction, digital professionalis, ethnomethodology