Lecturer responsiveness in online learning – availability, accessibility, and flexibility: a matter of kindness

ABSTRACT Kindness signifies a way of behaving towards other individuals. Kindness is a desirable and admired conduct of schoolteachers but is less expected in higher education. During the Covid-19 pandemic, on-campus learning shifted completely to online learning settings, requiring lecturers to adopt behaviours that may not have been part of their previous routine. Although lecturers’ kindness is linked to students’ satisfaction, perseverance, and outcomes, there is a dearth of research concerning the kindness of higher education lecturers teaching online. Thus, the current study uncovered how students perceived lecturers’ kindness in online learning. Sixty-five students responded to a survey containing both closed and open-ended questions. Content analysis showed that lecturers’ kindness in online learning is perceived as mostly different from kindness on-campus, necessitating consideration of students’ situational and technological difficulties. Moreover, kindness was perceived as responsive to students in three components: availability, accessibility, and flexibility. Conceptualising kindness in online learning settings can improve lecturers’ online teaching practices.