E-mail, facebook, and mobile phones as essential tools for lower secondary school students’ communication

Abstract

The process of communication in the contemporary world and classroom has changed due to the Internet becoming more popular as an important means of exchanging information among young people. The Internet has also influenced relations and modes of communication between students and teachers. In consequence, the social distance between teachers and students has shortened and their relations have become less strict and formal. The following study concerns teacher– student, student–student classroom practices in lower secondary school, and addresses the issue of students’ preferences in communication and teacher–student communication satisfaction. The participants were 16-year-olds from two village schools (located in the south-west of Poland about 50 km from the capital of the province). The study’s purpose was to determine whether teacher–student communication at schools is satisfying for third-grade, lower secondary school students, and to evaluate teacher–student relationships, which appear to be satisfying and important to students. The survey revealed that students spend plenty of time in front of their computers, and most of them have mobile phones and stay in touch with teachers and classmates outside the classroom. According to the results, most students appreciate personal, face-to-face contact more than virtual or mobile phone contact, and believe that face-to-face contact can never be replaced.