A phenomenographic study of lecturers’ perspectives on undergraduate silence in face-to-face and online EFL learning

Silence is a common occurrence in language learning that can cause frustration for teachers. The issue of silence has been extensively studied in traditional classroom settings, but it has become increasingly prevalent in online learning environments as technology has advanced. Several studies have been conducted on learners’ perceptions and experiences of silence. Still, minimal studies have contributed to the existing literature on lecturers’ perceptions of understanding learners’ silence in face-to-face and online learning environments. This study addresses this gap by exploring EFL lecturers’ perceptions of undergraduate silence in face-to-face and online EFL learning. Through qualitative analysis of five lecturers using phenomenography methodologies, the findings highlighted the major difference from EFL lecturers’ perspectives depending on the mode of instruction. Two primary conceptions were found: social-physical presence and social-physical absence, implying the presence of physical aspects in undergraduates’ social interaction to enhance learning.