The Meanings of Faculty-student Interaction Outside the Classroom: A Phenomenological Study in the Chinese Con-textese context

Abstract

Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this study sought to understand the meanings of faculty-student interaction outside the classroom in the Chinese context by describing and interpreting students’ lived experiences. The study gathered data by interviewing 28 participants from a research university and asking them to write notes. The data were analyzed regarding the three existentials of lived time, lived space, and lived relationships to others. The findings revealed that compensation and creation are the meanings of faculty-student interaction outside the classroom for students. Furthermore, this study suggested that (1) emotional interaction is a significant type, (2) students are the drivers and constructors of their interactions with faculty, and (3) the meanings of faculty-student interaction are rooted in students’ previous educational experience and the cultural context in which they live. Overall, the study extended the understanding of faculty-student interaction outside the classroom. The limitations of this study and some implications for future studies are discussed.