Relationships among Teaching, Social, and Cognitive Presence in Online Learning

Abstract

This study examines undergraduate students’ perceptions of teaching, social, and cognitive presence in online learning environments, grounded in the Community of Inquiry framework (Randy Garrison & Jennifer Arbaugh, 2007). Despite extensive research on these constructs, limited attention has been given to how learners perceive their interrelationships within online contexts.A quantitative design was employed with a purposive sample of 239 undergraduates. Data were collected through an online questionnaire comprising four sections: demographic information, and measures of teaching presence (13 items), social presence (9 items), and cognitive presence (12 items). Responses were recorded using a five-point Likert scale ranging from “Never” to “Always.” Descriptive statistics were used to determine perceived levels of each presence, while Pearson correlation analysis examined relationships among the constructs. Findings indicate that all three presences were perceived at moderate to high levels. Strong positive correlations were found between social and teaching presence (r = .754, p < .001), teaching and cognitive presence (r = .779, p < .001), and social and cognitive presence (r = .804, p < .001), indicating a high degree of interdependence. These results support the view that teaching, social, and cognitive presence function as an integrated system in online learning. The study provides empirical support for the CoI framework and offers practical implications for designing online environments that enhance interaction, instructional effectiveness, and cognitive engagement.