Will I ever connect with the students?” Online Teaching and the Pedagogy of Care

Abstract

Since Noddings (1984/2003) first made a case for acknowledging care as a core element and value in pedagogical relationships, research on care in classrooms has flourished.While research confirms the importance of a supportive environment for the success of the online student, we know little about how online instructors’ experience care—for their students and for themselves. This paper offers a phenomenological exploration of care as it is experienced in online postsecondary instructors’ interactions and relations with their students.