Zoom dysmorphia in e-teaching: shifting the value from attributes to appearance

• Published in: Education and information technologies Vol. 28; no. 6; pp. 6781 - 6799
• Main Authors: Jabali, Oqab, Saeedi, Munther, Rabayaa, Maha, Othman, Nihad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-06-2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aesthetics; College Faculty; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Computer Science; Computers and Education; Coping; COVID-19; Distance Education; Distance learning; Education; Educational Technology; Electronic Learning; Epidemics; Gender Differences; Higher education; Human Body; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Intellectual Disciplines; Online instruction; Pandemics; Self Concept; Teacher Attitudes; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Teleconferencing; User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction; Covid-19 pandemic; Zoom dysmorphia; e-teaching; Physical appearance; Dysmorphia
• ISSN: 1360-2357; 1573-7608
• DOI: 10.1007/s10639-022-11470-1

The current study is motivated by Tory Higgins’s self-discrepancy theory and the objectification theory. It aimed to investigate university staff members’ perspectives towards zoom dysmorphia while involved in e-teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic in terms of its popularity, causes, and instructors’ experiences with the healing or eliminating mechanisms. Put simply, the researchers meant to identify the impact of the pandemic on body image and the long-term repercussions of e-teaching on instructors’ quality. A descriptive online questionnaire was compiled to explore the way (630) university staff members having academic and academic/administrative positions evaluate, perceive, and handle zoom dysmorphia while teaching online. The study results showed several associations between the variables studied. Gender was significant because females proved to have more features of dysmorphia; faculty members who serve in scientific faculties also proved to expect more features of dysmorphia as they tended not to turn on their cameras. The study results also showed that sufferers of zoom dysmorphia warranted that their appearances occasionally made them feel insecure and occupationally unstable. Therefore, they tried different healing mechanisms to eliminate or, at least, reduce its traits. The study concluded that the prevalence of zoom dysmorphia may result in shifting the value from good, effective attributes (e.g., professionalism, adaptability, collaboration, empathy, and patience) of instructors to merely outside physical appearances. The researchers recommend that educators should elicit the presence of zoom dysmorphia at an early stage. They should prepare courses to improve instructors’ self-confidence, and provide them with proper technical experience.