Home⇛PCS Review⇛vol. 15 no. 1 (2023)

Free Talk: Self-Disclosure of Online ESL Teachers in the ESL Domain

Justine M Sanoy

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

Self-disclosure within the academic realm has been examined as one of the key indicators of students’ participation in class. Thus, it can be said that in every class conversation, sharing of personal information has the potential to enhance the overall teaching and learning experience. This research investigated online ESL teachers’ self-disclosure through the lens of Social Penetration Theory. Additionally, the reasons behind their self-disclosure and the influence of revealing personal information and stories to their students were investigated. Five online ESL teachers were interviewed, and the findings revealed that the process of ESL teachers’ self-disclosure follows stages including an initial orientation phase, exploratory-affective to affective phase, and stable phase. However, it was emphasized that these stages do not necessarily unfold in a linear progression. Most of the time, the nature of the online ESL teachers’ selfdisclosures is influenced by company policies and student preferences. One notable finding that arose was about how some teachers fabricate some details about themselves such as their real name, age, and some narratives in the intention of adhering to their company policies, avoiding conflicts, and enhancing student engagement. ESL teachers are motivated to self-disclose because they view it as a teaching strategy to engage their students more and to elevate the quality of their class conversations. In general, online ESL teachers perceive self-disclosure as a positive approach in the ESL milieu, leading to a closer rapport with their students.



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