I Know My Professor: Teacher Self-Disclosure in Online Education and a Mediating Role of Social Presence

Acknowledging the importance of teacher–student relationship for effective learning experiences, the present study examined the role of teacher self-disclosure and social presence in online education. An online survey was conducted from a sample of 262 undergraduate students with online class experiences. The findings suggest that students’ perception toward teacher self-disclosure increased students’ feeling of social presence about their teacher. Then, social presence in turn led to teacher–student relationship satisfaction, which ultimately increased perceived knowledge gain. Importantly, the association between teacher self-disclosure and teacher–student relationship satisfaction was mediated by social presence.