Teacher-Student Relationships in an Online Graduate Program: A Phenomenological Analysis

Student experiences of closeness in teacher-student relationships can be of profound influence. Better understanding the personal and emotional contexts of such a phenomenon are of critical importance, especially in online and blended learning environments where students and teachers are physically or geographically separated. Such physical distance between teachers and students may diminish or heighten experiences of closeness in this relationship. However, less is known about student experiences of the relational quality of closeness with teachers in distance learning environments. This phenomenological study focused on exploring and reporting on such experiences of closeness. Semi-structured interviews with doctoral students, doctoral candidates, and recent graduates from a fully online graduate program were conducted. A phenomenological analysis was used to shed light on closeness in the postsecondary teacher-student relationships that unfold online. The analysis led to the thematization of four aspects or sets of aspects of closeness in the teacher-student relation: direct teacher-student communication, style or the communication of personality (teacher persona), indirect teacher-student communication, and student self-relation. Through descriptions and researcher commentary on selected accounts and extracts of students’ lived experiences, this study details how these four aspects intertwine and contribute to the relational quality of closeness in the teacher-student relation. Further, this study suggests that prolonged exposure to these aspects may provide greater opportunities for closeness to emerge in this relation, but such exposure is not required to experience closeness. Findings and avenues of future research are discussed.