Navigating the ‘grey zone’: teachers’ practices around students’ online interactions

Figures & data

Table 1. The ICT-related practices and rules discussed by teachers in the interviews.

ICT-related practice/rule	Mentions (N)
Students are not allowed to use their personal devices in class (unless permitted by the teacher)	14
Students’ devices should generally be muted and/or placed in their backpacks	13
Students are not allowed to use their own devices during recess	11
There are restrictions regarding handling of devices and other general practices	9
Students’ personal devices are collected in by the teacher	7
The teacher uses other restrictive practices	2

Table 2. Challenges related to students’ online interactions identified by teachers in the interviews.

Challenge	Level	Description	Examples of manifestations	Mentions (N)
Online conflicts	Student	Students engage in online conflicts	- Unpleasant messages or content in online environments - Conflicts between classmates	33
Role of the teacher	Teacher	There is lack of clarity related to the role of the teacher in addressing online situations	- Difficulty in balancing the feeling of responsibility with the limitations of one’s own role - Limited resources to address different situations	29
Messaging behaviour	Student	Students’ interactions in instant messaging groups can include unfavourable behaviour	- Certain students are left outside or removed from messaging groups - Spamming messages to the class messaging group	15
ICT use-related pressure	Student	Students experience pressure related to online interaction and ICT use	- Pressure to follow and/or react to messages - Pressure regarding one’s own appearance in social media	13
Characteristics of ICT environments	Student/ ICT	The nature and affordances of online environments foster specific circumstances for interaction	- There might be a lower threshold for conflicts and bullying in online environments (e.g. due to anonymity) - The interactions between students can be layered and difficult to follow	9

Table 3. Strategies and possibilities for problem-solving mentioned by teachers in the interviews.

Strategy	Level	Description	Examples of manifestations	Mentions (N)
Situation-specific strategies	Teacher/parent	Teachers use specific strategies that fit certain situations to address problems with online interaction	- Teacher collaborates with parents or other school personnel to address a situation with specific student(s) - Parents communicate a (resolved) situation between students to the teacher - Teacher redirects problem-solving to parents (e.g. leisure-related conflicts)	29
Class communication	Teacher	Teachers discuss with the class about online communication and rules	- Teacher discusses with the class why specific online behaviour (e.g. spamming) can be a problem - Teacher and class create shared rules for online environments (e.g. instant messaging groups)	14
Parent communication	Teacher	Teachers can provide general communication to parents	Online interaction can be the topic of parent-teacher conferences	7
Interaction skills	Student	Students have strengths that can be leveraged in online interaction	Students have good social skills and/or know how to react to different situations	7
Education and support	Teacher/parent	Adults support students with online interaction	Parents and/or teachers can support the development of social skills	4
Discussion moderation	Teacher	Teacher is a member of the messaging group	The (presence of) the teacher moderates class discussions	3
Possibility	Level	Description	Manifestations	Mentions (N)
Meaningfulness of online interaction	Student	Online interaction is meaningful for students	Online environments (e.g. games) are an important part of students’ everyday lives	12
Teaching and learning potential	Teacher	Online interaction provides opportunities for school purposes	Students are more easily reached through instant messaging	4