Abstract
This phenomenological study aims to explore, understand, and look at the lived experiences of college instructors in student-teacher formal correspondence. Through purposive sampling, 14 college instructors with a minimum of 3 years' experience at KCAST were selected for participation. All of them participated in the in-depth interviews. Results revealed the experiences of the participants: having language barriers towards effective communication, crossing the line between teacher and student relationships, extending service beyond the working hours, struggling in the absence of proper etiquette in dealing with teachers, experiencing a lack of respect from students, and having message misinterpretation on an online platform. In response to the challenges they have encountered, they deem the following coping strategies essential: setting clear expectations at the beginning of a course or program, correcting improper behavior immediately, establishing boundaries and authority in the class, building good rapport through a supportive teacher-student relationship, having an understanding of the various underlying reasons for students’ misbehaviors, implementing a policy of language used inside the classroom, and strengthening student-teacher communication through comprehensive feedback. Upon reflecting on their entire experience, they arrived at the following insights: to lead is to set by example; the importance of open communication and a sense of empathy; the value of cultivating good connections through understanding, consideration, and openness; upholding professionalism and respect with each other; and building a healthy relationship in the learning environment. The results of this study were anticipated to be meaningful and important to the participants, instructors, students, and researchers.
