Abstract:

Presentation was an abridged version of my undergraduate thesis.

This study aims to understand how University of the Philippines Diliman Speech 30  instructors use communication accommodation strategies to address student difficulties in a post- COVID-19 instructional setting. Verbal and non-verbal immediacy from Anderson (1979) and  Christophel & Gorham (1995), along with Giles and Ogay's Communication Accommodation typologies (2007) comprise the theoretical framework. A triangulation approach was utilized in identifying the prevalent student difficulties among the respondents. First, a modified version of Robert Goodman's Student Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was administered to 369 students taking the course. The results were then cross-examined in one-on-one follow-up interviews with 8 consenting participants. Upon a thematic analysis of the findings from the questionnaire and the interviews, emotional and mental disposition, focus, and emergent logistical and behavioral difficulties were identified as the most prevalent categories of student difficulties. Subsequently, the consenting participants were interviewed about the immediacy behaviors of their Speech 30 instructors that they perceive in class, primarily those that address their in-class difficulties. With regards to verbal immediate behaviors, the students perceived instructors incorporating humor, personal examples, simple language, feedback, reassuring tone, content and trigger warnings,  familiarity with course content, and building on students’ answers to their pedagogy in post- COVID-19 face-to-face classes. Perceived non-verbal immediacy behaviors included modified  seating arrangement, physical gestures, proximity, movement, fashion, and visual aids. These student-perceived immediacy behaviors indicate the instructor usage of approximation, interpretability, discourse management, emotional expression, and interpersonal control strategies to address student difficulties in post-COVID-19 Speech 30 classes held in the University.