Metacommunication Versus Conversational Practices of Teaching Personnel at a Constituent Campus of a Southern Tagalog State University, the Philippines: A Study on Manifestation and Their Relationship

This study examines the intricacies of metacommunication and conversational practices of an incidental sample of 106 teaching personnel engaged in remote teaching at a constituent campus of a Southern Tagalog state university, the Philippines. The primary objective of this study is to measure the extent to which teaching personnel manifest metacommunication across different forms of communication, including verbal, non-verbal, and written expressions, and how they exhibit conversational behaviors during pedagogic interactions. These behaviors encompass openness, empathy, positivity, immediacy, interaction management, and expressiveness. The research also endeavors to test if a significant relationship exists between metacommunication and these conversational practices. Employing a correlational research design, a survey questionnaire, and utilizing statistical tools such as mean, standard deviation, and Pearson r to analyze the quantitative data collected, the findings reveal heightened levels of metacommunication and a prevalent presence of conversational practices among educators in the higher education context. Furthermore, the research identifies a correlation between metacommunication and conversational practices. In light of these findings, it is recommended that educators proactively nurture a positive and professional classroom environment while considering individualized student assessments. This approach can foster more constructive pedagogic interactions within the higher education teaching community while enhancing the learning experience for both educators and students. The study also emphasizes the vital link between metacommunication and conversational practices in education while illustrating its impact on communication quality, learning experiences, and societal dialogue for enhanced empathy and positivity for broader societal benefits.