Dialogues in Transition: A Narrative Inquiry into Student Communication with Teachers in Remote Learning Environments

The COVID-19 pandemic undeniably disrupted traditional learning environments, compelling a rapid shift to online modalities that redefined how students communicate with their teachers. Yet, beneath the technical transitions lies a deeper, underexplored terrain: the lived communication experiences of students steering education amid crisis. This study employed a qualitative narrative inquiry to investigate the storied realities of thirty (30) undergraduate education students who engaged with instructors during emergency remote teaching. Guided by Clandinin and Connelly’s (2000) framework, the research utilized in-depth interviews to capture the emotional, relational, and contextual dimensions of digital communication in learning. Thematic narrative analysis yielded six major themes: Digital Dialogues and Platforms of Connection, Communication Formalities and Relational Boundaries, Barriers and Disruptions in the Virtual Learning Space, Silences and the Psychology of Asking, Misfires in Meaning, and Fractured Learning and Fragmented Engagement. These findings reveal that online communication was not merely a logistical shift, but a complex socio-emotional process shaped by anxiety, cultural norms, technological barriers, and pedagogical presence. The study challenges assumptions of seamless digital adaptation and underscores the necessity of humanizing online interaction. Implications call for institutional reforms in platform standardization, faculty training in relational pedagogy, and systemic support to bridge digital and emotional divides in virtual education. This work contributes to global conversations on inclusive, student-centered online learning in post-pandemic educational futures.