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Öğretmenlerin Emoji Kullanımı ve Öğrenci-Öğretmen E-postalarında Profesyonellik Hakkındaki Görüşleri

Year 2026, Issue: 35 , 79 - 92 , 31.03.2026
https://izlik.org/JA24JW25KA

Abstract

Emoji kullanımının teknoloji aracılı iletişimde yaygın şekilde normalleşmesine rağmen, bu ifadelerin resmi akademik söyleme dahil edilmesini inceleyen araştırmalar oldukça sınırlıdır. Bu çalışma, üniversite öğretim elemanlarının öğrencilerin e-postalarında emoji kullanımına yönelik bakış açılarını araştırmaktadır. Öğretim elemanlarının bu ifadeli simgelere karşı hoşgörü düzeyleri ve aşinalıkları incelenmiş, ayrıca bu unsurların öğrencilerin resmiyet derecesini nasıl etkilediği değerlendirilmiştir. Bu amacı gerçekleştirmek için, çeşitli üniversitelerden rastgele seçilen 106 İngilizce öğretmeniyle 22 maddelik bir ölçek uygulanmıştır. Çalışma, emoji varlığının ve algılanan profesyonellik düzeylerinin beklenen seviyeleri aşıp aşmadığını araştırmakta ve emojiye aşinalık ile hoşgörü arasındaki olumlu ilişkiyi incelemektedir. Ayrıca, hoşgörünün resmiyet ve profesyonellik düzeyini ne ölçüde yordadığını; cinsiyet, yaş ve öğretim deneyimi gibi değişkenlere bağlı olarak profesyonellik algılarındaki farklılıkları da ele almaktadır.

Bulgular, her ne kadar öğrenci-öğretmen e-postalarında emojiler sıklıkla kullanılsa da, bu kullanımın profesyonel tonu azalttığını ve geleneksel resmiyet beklentilerini pekiştirdiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Emojilere olan aşinalık ile hoşgörü arasında anlamlı bir ilişki gözlemlenmemiştir; bu da dijital iletişime karşı yüksek düzeyde açıklık gösteren öğretmenlerin profesyonelliği daha olumlu değerlendirme eğiliminde olduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca, cinsiyet tek etkili yordayıcı olarak öne çıkmakta; kadın öğretmenlerin profesyonellik puanları tutarlı biçimde daha yüksek olmaktadır. Yaş ve öğretim deneyiminin ise sınırlı etkisi olduğu görülmüştür. Çalışma, profesyonel iletişimin dinamik doğasına dikkat çekmekte ve dijital söylemde öğrenci-öğretmen beklentilerini şekillendiren resmiyet sınırlarının yeniden değerlendirilmesi gerektiğini vurgulamaktadır.

References

  • Allan, H., & Budd, M. J. (2023). A case for emojis, more or less: An analysis of word and emoji expressivity. Computers in Human Behavior, 147, 1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107845
  • Alshenqeeti, H. (2016). Are emojis creating a new or old visual language for new generations? A socio-semiotic study. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 7(6), 56–69. DOI: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1126897.pdf
  • Al Zou’bi, R. & Shamma, F. (2021). Assessing Instructors’ Usage of Emojis in Distance Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cypriot Journal of Educational Science. 16(1), 201-219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v16i1.5520
  • Baggia, A.., Žnidaršič, A. & Trantnik, A. (2022). Emoticons in student-professor email communication. Media Education Research Journal, 73, 111-124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3916/C73-2022-10
  • Bai, Q., Dan, Q., Mu, Z., & Yang, M. (2019). A systematic review of emoji: current research and future perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 10 (2221), 1-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2019.02221
  • Banerjee, A. & Bute, S. (2017). “Emoticon in Organisational Email Communication: A Study through mail.amity.edu”, MERC Global's International Journal of Management, 5 (1), 08-18. Retrieved from: http://ijm.mercglobal.org/abstractm242.html
  • Crombie, P. (2020). Faces, hearts and thumbs: Exploring the use of Emoji in online teacher-student communications in higher education. Journal of Academic Language & Learning 14 (1(, 30-41.
  • Da Quinta, N., Cruz, S., Ríos, Y., Alfaro, B., & De Marañón, M. (2022). What is behind a facial emoji? The effects of context, age, and gender on children’s understanding of emoji. Food Quality and Preference, 105(104761), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104761.
  • Evans, V. (2017). The Emoji Code: The Linguistics behind Smiley Faces and Scaredy Cats. New York, NY: Picador. Heale, R., & Twycross, A. (2015). Validity and reliability in quantitative studies. Evidence-based nursing, 18(3), 66–67. https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2015-102129
  • Hu, T., Guo, H., Sun, H., Nguyen, T.- vy, & Luo, J. (2017). Spice up your chat: the intentions and sentiment effects of using emojis. Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, 11(1), 102-111. DOi: https://doi.org/10.1609/icwsm.v11i1.14869
  • Keshmiri, F., Jambarsang, S., & Mehrparvar, A. (2023). Effective components of teachers’ professionalism in viewpoints of various stakeholders. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 12(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1565_21.
  • Lewin-Jones, J., & Mason, V. (2014). Understanding style, language and etiquette in email communication in higher education: a survey. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 19(1), 75 - 90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13596748.2014.872934.
  • Luongová, T. (2017). Evolution of Emoticons/Emoji and their Functions in Digital Communications. Published Bachelor Thesis. Ústí nad Labem.
  • Mahato, S., & Kumar, S. (2023). A thorough review of emoji as the emerging communication language. Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities, 6(1), 799–811. DOI: https://doi.org/10.53555/jrtdd.v6i1.2192
  • Micle, V. D., & Iacob, M. I. (2024). Creating communicative context through the use of emoji and politeness in online academic written interactions. Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Philologia, 69(3), 207–228. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2024.3.12
  • Minich, M., Kerr, B., & Moreno, M. (2025). Adolescent Emoji Use in Text-Based Messaging: Focus Group Study. JMIR Formative Research, 9(e59640), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.2196/59640
  • Mohieldeen Mohammed Suliman, W. (2024). Emojis in EFL communication: an analysis of the language-like functions in emoji use by Saudi female learners. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 14 (1), 154-159. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1401.18
  • Nanda, H., & Sulaiman, K. (2023). Legal implications of use of emojis: a critical analysis. Research Review International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 8 (10), 13-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2023.v08.n10.003
  • Novak, P. K., Smailović, J., Sluban, B., & Mozetič, I. (2015). Sentiment of emojis. PloS One, 10(12), e0144296.
  • Revita, I., Zalfikhe, F. A., Boholano, H., Tuan, N. T., Huszka, B., & Datuk, Z. Dt. M. (2023). Emoticons Unveiled: A Multifaceted Analysis of Their Linguistic Impact. Jurnal Arbitrer, 10(3), 260-274. DOI : https://doi.org/10.25077/ar.10.3.260-274.2023
  • Robusa, M. C. Handb, J. C., Filikc, R., and Pitchforda, M. (2020). Investigating effects of emoji on neutral narrative text: Evidence from eye movements and perceived emotional valence. Computers in Human Behavior, Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106361
  • Rousan, R., Al-Awawdeh, N., Hassan, H., & AlRousan, M. (2024). “Good morning, my dear Dr. Openings and closings in university students’ academic emails. World Journal of English Language, 14(6), 99-110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v14n6p99.
  • Sifianou, M. (2013). The impact of globalisation on politeness and impoliteness. Journal of Pragmatics, 55, 86-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2013.05.016
  • Tandyonomanu, D., & Tsuroyya (2018). Emoji: Representations of Nonverbal Symbols in Communication Technology. Open Access Proceedings Journal of Physics: Conference series, 288 (01252). Retrieved from: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757- 899X/288/1/012052/pdf
  • Tratnik, A., Gak, D., Baggia, A., Jerebic, J., Rajkovič, U., Grbić, T., Duraković, N., Medić, S., & Žnidaršič, A. (2023). Factors influencing student-professor email communication in higher education. Education and Information Technologies,29, 3497 - 3523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11944-w.
  • Turney, E., Sabater, C., & Fleta, B. (2019). Formality and informality in electronic communication. Proceedings of 1st Tutorial and Research Workshop on Experimental Linguistics, 241-244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36505/exling-2006/01/0054/000054.
  • Voyakina, E. Y. (2023). Visualization of modern digital communication: emoji instead of words. Russian Journal of Education ‘Преподаватель XXI Век’, 2(2), 392-404. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31862/2073-9613-2023-2-392-404
  • Weissman, B. (2024). Can an emoji be a lie? The links between emoji meaning, commitment, and lying. Journal of Pragmatics (Elsevier), 12-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2023.11.004
  • Wu, D., Zhang, X., & Zhang, X. (2024). Is there an intergenerational discrepancy in the comprehension and aesthetic preference regarding emoji usage? Evidence from WeChat. Frontiers in Psychology, 15(1424728), 1-15. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1424728.

Teachers’ Perspectives on Emoji Use and Professionalism in Student-Teacher Emails

Year 2026, Issue: 35 , 79 - 92 , 31.03.2026
https://izlik.org/JA24JW25KA

Abstract

Despite the widespread normalization of emoji use in technology-mediated communication, limited research has been conducted to examine their inclusion into formal academic discourse. The study investigates university teachers’ perspectives on the use of emojis in student emails. It examines their tolerance and familiarity with these expressive icons and evaluates how they influence the students' degree of formality. To achieve this, a 22-item scale was administered to a random sample of 106 EFL teachers from various universities. This study explores whether emoji presence and perceived professionalism ratings exceed expected levels and investigates the positive relationship between familiarity with emojis and tolerance toward their use. It examines whether tolerance predicts formality and professionalism, considering differences in professionalism perceptions based on gender, age, and teaching experience. The findings reveal that although emojis are frequently used in student-teacher emails, their use diminishes professional tone and reinforces traditional expectations of formality. Familiarity with emojis does not exhibit a significant correlation with their tolerance, suggesting that educators who demonstrate a high level of openness to digital communication have the tendency to rate professionalism more favorably. Furthermore, gender is the only influential predictor, with female teachers consistently rating higher professionalism, while age and teaching experience indicate limited influence. The study stresses the dynamic nature of professional communication, calling for a reassessment of formality boundaries that shape student-teacher expectations in digital discourse.

References

  • Allan, H., & Budd, M. J. (2023). A case for emojis, more or less: An analysis of word and emoji expressivity. Computers in Human Behavior, 147, 1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107845
  • Alshenqeeti, H. (2016). Are emojis creating a new or old visual language for new generations? A socio-semiotic study. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 7(6), 56–69. DOI: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1126897.pdf
  • Al Zou’bi, R. & Shamma, F. (2021). Assessing Instructors’ Usage of Emojis in Distance Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cypriot Journal of Educational Science. 16(1), 201-219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v16i1.5520
  • Baggia, A.., Žnidaršič, A. & Trantnik, A. (2022). Emoticons in student-professor email communication. Media Education Research Journal, 73, 111-124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3916/C73-2022-10
  • Bai, Q., Dan, Q., Mu, Z., & Yang, M. (2019). A systematic review of emoji: current research and future perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 10 (2221), 1-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2019.02221
  • Banerjee, A. & Bute, S. (2017). “Emoticon in Organisational Email Communication: A Study through mail.amity.edu”, MERC Global's International Journal of Management, 5 (1), 08-18. Retrieved from: http://ijm.mercglobal.org/abstractm242.html
  • Crombie, P. (2020). Faces, hearts and thumbs: Exploring the use of Emoji in online teacher-student communications in higher education. Journal of Academic Language & Learning 14 (1(, 30-41.
  • Da Quinta, N., Cruz, S., Ríos, Y., Alfaro, B., & De Marañón, M. (2022). What is behind a facial emoji? The effects of context, age, and gender on children’s understanding of emoji. Food Quality and Preference, 105(104761), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104761.
  • Evans, V. (2017). The Emoji Code: The Linguistics behind Smiley Faces and Scaredy Cats. New York, NY: Picador. Heale, R., & Twycross, A. (2015). Validity and reliability in quantitative studies. Evidence-based nursing, 18(3), 66–67. https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2015-102129
  • Hu, T., Guo, H., Sun, H., Nguyen, T.- vy, & Luo, J. (2017). Spice up your chat: the intentions and sentiment effects of using emojis. Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, 11(1), 102-111. DOi: https://doi.org/10.1609/icwsm.v11i1.14869
  • Keshmiri, F., Jambarsang, S., & Mehrparvar, A. (2023). Effective components of teachers’ professionalism in viewpoints of various stakeholders. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 12(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1565_21.
  • Lewin-Jones, J., & Mason, V. (2014). Understanding style, language and etiquette in email communication in higher education: a survey. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 19(1), 75 - 90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13596748.2014.872934.
  • Luongová, T. (2017). Evolution of Emoticons/Emoji and their Functions in Digital Communications. Published Bachelor Thesis. Ústí nad Labem.
  • Mahato, S., & Kumar, S. (2023). A thorough review of emoji as the emerging communication language. Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities, 6(1), 799–811. DOI: https://doi.org/10.53555/jrtdd.v6i1.2192
  • Micle, V. D., & Iacob, M. I. (2024). Creating communicative context through the use of emoji and politeness in online academic written interactions. Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Philologia, 69(3), 207–228. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2024.3.12
  • Minich, M., Kerr, B., & Moreno, M. (2025). Adolescent Emoji Use in Text-Based Messaging: Focus Group Study. JMIR Formative Research, 9(e59640), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.2196/59640
  • Mohieldeen Mohammed Suliman, W. (2024). Emojis in EFL communication: an analysis of the language-like functions in emoji use by Saudi female learners. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 14 (1), 154-159. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1401.18
  • Nanda, H., & Sulaiman, K. (2023). Legal implications of use of emojis: a critical analysis. Research Review International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 8 (10), 13-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2023.v08.n10.003
  • Novak, P. K., Smailović, J., Sluban, B., & Mozetič, I. (2015). Sentiment of emojis. PloS One, 10(12), e0144296.
  • Revita, I., Zalfikhe, F. A., Boholano, H., Tuan, N. T., Huszka, B., & Datuk, Z. Dt. M. (2023). Emoticons Unveiled: A Multifaceted Analysis of Their Linguistic Impact. Jurnal Arbitrer, 10(3), 260-274. DOI : https://doi.org/10.25077/ar.10.3.260-274.2023
  • Robusa, M. C. Handb, J. C., Filikc, R., and Pitchforda, M. (2020). Investigating effects of emoji on neutral narrative text: Evidence from eye movements and perceived emotional valence. Computers in Human Behavior, Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106361
  • Rousan, R., Al-Awawdeh, N., Hassan, H., & AlRousan, M. (2024). “Good morning, my dear Dr. Openings and closings in university students’ academic emails. World Journal of English Language, 14(6), 99-110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v14n6p99.
  • Sifianou, M. (2013). The impact of globalisation on politeness and impoliteness. Journal of Pragmatics, 55, 86-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2013.05.016
  • Tandyonomanu, D., & Tsuroyya (2018). Emoji: Representations of Nonverbal Symbols in Communication Technology. Open Access Proceedings Journal of Physics: Conference series, 288 (01252). Retrieved from: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757- 899X/288/1/012052/pdf
  • Tratnik, A., Gak, D., Baggia, A., Jerebic, J., Rajkovič, U., Grbić, T., Duraković, N., Medić, S., & Žnidaršič, A. (2023). Factors influencing student-professor email communication in higher education. Education and Information Technologies,29, 3497 - 3523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11944-w.
  • Turney, E., Sabater, C., & Fleta, B. (2019). Formality and informality in electronic communication. Proceedings of 1st Tutorial and Research Workshop on Experimental Linguistics, 241-244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36505/exling-2006/01/0054/000054.
  • Voyakina, E. Y. (2023). Visualization of modern digital communication: emoji instead of words. Russian Journal of Education ‘Преподаватель XXI Век’, 2(2), 392-404. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31862/2073-9613-2023-2-392-404
  • Weissman, B. (2024). Can an emoji be a lie? The links between emoji meaning, commitment, and lying. Journal of Pragmatics (Elsevier), 12-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2023.11.004
  • Wu, D., Zhang, X., & Zhang, X. (2024). Is there an intergenerational discrepancy in the comprehension and aesthetic preference regarding emoji usage? Evidence from WeChat. Frontiers in Psychology, 15(1424728), 1-15. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1424728.
There are 29 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Communication Education
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Abdelhadi Amina 0000-0019-7066-8800

Submission Date June 30, 2025
Acceptance Date February 19, 2026
Publication Date March 31, 2026
DOI https://doi.org/10.31455/asya.1730173
IZ https://izlik.org/JA24JW25KA
Published in Issue Year 2026 Issue: 35

Cite

APA Amina, A. (2026). Teachers’ Perspectives on Emoji Use and Professionalism in Student-Teacher Emails. Asya Studies, 35, 79-92. https://doi.org/10.31455/asya.1730173

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