Incivility as a Barrier against Learners’ Achievement in Virtual Settings: Stressing an Overlooked Concern and a Call for Research

Students’ incivility in higher education is a serious issue with undesirable impacts such as disturbed learning, interruption in the leaning and teaching environment, and stressful relationship between teacher and learners. It is basically defined as disruptive and unreasonable behaviors which cause psychological or physical distress, turning into threats if no action is taken to deal with them. It may further involve any behavior or verbal statement with negative impacts on teacher and students’ health, adversely affecting their occupational relationship, thereby disturbing the teaching and learning process. Educational weaknesses in dealing with virtual incivility can revolutionize the relationships and turn it into effective instruction if all stakeholders understand the nature of virtual communication and revisit their own roles in such an environment. University administrators may keep on evaluating such behaviors and provide instructors with constructive advice to enhance the quality of the course content and classes in virtual settings.