The use of smartphones has changed considerably in recent years due to their technical development. This also applies to schools: pupils and teachers communicate with and among each other to make arrangements or exchange homework. Nowadays, (almost) every school class has a WhatsApp group that adds an online layer to its communication sphere. School classes are therefore "permanently online, permanently connected (POPC)". This dissertation aims to investigate the impact of school class group chats on pupils' well-being. It therefore addresses the following question: How can we model the relationship between classroom group chats and the well-being of the pupils involved?
In the theoretical background, a comprehensive theoretical examination of class chats, processes of group psychology, and pupils’ well-being will be presented. In the course of this, both the situational component with short-term influences of the chats and longer-term, constant effects will be highlighted. In order to do justice to this situational perspective methodologically, a quantitative MESM study (Mobile Experience Sampling Method) will be conducted to empirically test part of the theoretically derived model.
- Project lead: Malin Fecke
- Contact: m.fecke(at)filmuniversitaet.de
CV: Since January 2021, Malin Fecke is a research associate in a project on teacher–pupil relationships in a digitized learning environment that is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). She is also a lecturer in the undergrade programme 'Digital Media Culture' and teaches seminars such as 'Introduction to Scientific Working' or 'Quantitative Methods in Media Research'. Previously, she worked as a strategic planner in a communication agency. Her main research interests are media psychology, strategic communication, and media impact research.
- PhD Advisors:
- Scientific PhD in the discipline: Media Studies