The Use of Emojis and Emoticons by Teachers – as a Link with the World of Students (?)

Abstract

The article concerns the use of emojis and emoticons by teachers in the classroom and was written to draw attention to the educational use of these signs and symbols and to encourage wider possibilities of using them in education. In the first part of the text, considerations will be presented on the importance of emojis and emoticons in modern communication and the origins of the appearance of these characters in our society. In the second part, the results of a research survey conducted among teachers and students at Kielce schools and their parents in 2022 will be presented. An element of the research reconnaissance was also the analysis of websites devoted to emojis and emoticons used in the school classroom. In the last part of the article, conclusions will be presented that teachers most often use emojis and emoticons for educational tasks, as an element of assessment, as an “addition” to the assessment, as a separate assessment and a reward for completing the task and or a motivational element. Emojis and emoticons are mainly used in early childhood education, as they are positively received by younger students. Older students reserve these symbols rather for their peers, gradually distance themselves from the older generation (to which the teachers belong) and mock attempts by teachers to introduce these elements in the older classes. Parents mostly understand the use of these signs by teachers in the classroom. However, there are those who criticize the possibility of their use in schools.