The impact of social presence on perceived learning performance in online education

Abstract

Building on digital information technology, online education in Chinese universities has developed rapidly. While it offers flexibility, it often reduces student engagement and increases learning burnout. How to fully leverage the advantages of online education while mitigating its negative effects has become a key concern in online learning research. The current study investigates how social presence influences undergraduates’ perceived learning performance in online teaching, focusing on the mediating role of learning burnout and the moderating effects of individualism and intrinsic learning motivation. A survey was conducted with 611 university students in China, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and PROCESS regression. Results showed that: (1) social presence in online courses significantly enhances perceived learning performance; (2) learning burnout mediates this relationship; (3) individualism and intrinsic learning motivation moderate this effect. Specifically, the indirect effect of social presence on perceived learning performance through reduced learning burnout is stronger among students with lower individualism or higher intrinsic motivation. These findings offer practical implications for improving teaching effectiveness, enhancing learning outcomes, and alleviating learning burnout in online education.