Factors influencing student-professor email communication in higher education

Nowadays, email communication is considered the most common and widespread computer-based tool that students use to communicate with their professors. This paper provides a framework for evaluating email communication between students and professors and examines the factors that may influence students' email style and professionalism. The research was conducted among Serbian and Slovenian students who contacted their professors by email. In order to evaluate the style of student email communication, the degree of formality, and the layout, we developed an evaluation form. Students were asked to complete an online questionnaire that assessed their attitudes toward culture, attitudes toward their professor and studies, digital literacy, use of social media, and self-perceptions of their communication skills. Responses were analysed and structural equation modeling was used to test seven hypotheses predicting the effects of factors that influence writing style in emails. As expected, the results show several differences in these factors in the two countries. First, in both countries, students' perceptions of their own communication skills influence their email communication style. Second, grade point average has a significant effect on email communication in Serbia but not in Slovenia, while attitude toward the professor is a significant predictor of email communication in Slovenia but not in Serbia. Moreover, in both countries, attitude toward professor is influenced by attitude toward study. Third, digital literacy has a significant effect on students' perceived communication skills in both countries, while culture affects communication skills only in Slovenia and social media use only in Serbia.