Exploring the relationship between teaching presence, self-regulation, and co-regulation in online courses

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between teaching presence and students’ self- and co-regulation, in online learning courses. Data were collected from 283 students enrolled in online courses using the Teaching Presence Scale of the Community of Inquiry survey and a Shared Metacognition Questionnaire. Descriptive analyses revealed that students perceived their instructor’s course design practices, particularly clear communication of goals, deadlines, and instructions, as the most influential component of teaching presence in enhancing their learning experiences. Students reported strong self-regulation, especially in maintaining awareness of effort and motivation. For co-regulation, while students recognized the importance of considering and listening to peer feedback, the greater variability in these ratings suggested differing levels of value placed on these collaborative practices. Regression analyses showed that both course design and facilitation significantly predicted self-regulation, explaining 25.9% of its variance, whereas facilitation alone predicted co-regulation, accounting for 26% of its variance.  These findings emphasize the importance of intentional course design and active facilitation in fostering self-regulation and co-regulation in online courses. The study contributes to advancing the Community of Inquiry framework by integrating metacognitive constructs and offers actionable strategies for designing online courses that promote autonomy and shared responsibility for learning.