Caring After COVID: Faculty Perceptions of Care Toward Students in the Post-Pandemic Climate
Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0003-1471-3749
Department
Communication
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2026
Abstract
Prior research demonstrates that instructors’ care toward students has a meaningful influence on students’ success. However, as higher education navigates an ever-evolving climate following the COVID-19 pandemic, how instructors perceive and express caring behaviors merit further study. Employing Noddings’s ethic of care framework, this article aims to explore how college instructors understand and practice care toward students in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from phenomenological analysis of interview data reveal that instructors conceptualize care as a negotiated relationship between teacher and student, which entails significant emotional labor. Findings further indicate that the exceptional needs of the current college student and often-demoralizing campus climates complicate the practice of providing care. Implications for both faculty and higher education administrators are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Kimmel, Krista M. and Krile, Mary Jo, "Caring After COVID: Faculty Perceptions of Care Toward Students in the Post-Pandemic Climate" (2026). EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship. 825.
https://encompass.eku.edu/fs_research/825
Journal Title
Currents in Teaching & Learning
Comments
Copyright © 2026. Worcester State University. This article first appeared in Currents in Teaching and Learning, Volume 18, Issue 1, August, 2026, pages 9-25.