Teaching presence in an online Science, Technology, and Society (STS) course: A mixed methods study

• Main Author: Fabia, Jose Noel V.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Web-based instruction; Distance education; Science—Study and teaching; Technology—Study and teaching; Sociology—Study and teaching; Mixed methods research; Science and Mathematics Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdd_scied/17; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdd_scied/article/1016/viewcontent/Teaching_Presence_in_an_Online_Science_Technology_and_Society__Redacted.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study used the teaching presence (TP) construct of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to explore the online learning environment. The pandemic offered a new context for this exploration, as many educational institutions worldwide were forced to switch to online distance learning. The study employed an action research methodology with an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach. It was participated by 64 undergraduate students enrolled in an online Science, Technology, and Society (STS) course. The data sources included responses to the developed Teaching Presence Questionnaire (TPQ), individual interviews, reflective journals, lesson recordings, and student artifacts in the learning management system. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using Rasch analysis and open and focused coding, respectively. Integration in quantitative and qualitative findings was represented through joint displays. The study found that solving technical problems, summarizing lessons, providing more examples, and addressing misconceptions about the topic are the most important teaching practices for establishing TP in the online STS course. The analysis also revealed the need for an additional indicator to capture teacher's flexible adjustment of the learning design to accommodate changing scenarios in social life (e.g., a resurgence of COVID infections in the community). The findings can inform the design and enactment of future online courses to foster teaching presence and enhance students' learning experiences in the virtual environment. In general, this study evaluated an online course and tested the scope of CoI to guide online teaching during the pandemic. Keywords: Community of Inquiry, Teaching Presence, Action Research, Mixed Methods, Rasch measurement, Arts-Based Research