Teaching Presence in Online Postgraduate Courses: A Critical Realist Social Network Analysis of University Teacher-Educators’ Course Design and Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an abrupt transition to online learning at universities worldwide. In response to this sudden shift, most university educators were compelled to adapt swiftly from conventional face-to-face teaching methods to fully online instruction. Recognising the pivotal role of teaching presence in fostering meaningful online learning experiences, this study explores the influence of teaching presence on online teacher-student interactions in discussion forums among twelve postgraduate teacher-training courses, consisting of 27 teachers and 209 students, at a New Zealand university affected by the pandemic in 2020. Guided by a critical realist-informed convergent mixed-method approach, the study employs an iterative retroductive process to synthesise three sources of data. Firstly, teacher-student interactions in the online discussion forums of the twelve courses were represented and characterised through social network analysis and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. Secondly, eleven teacher interviews were conducted, in which teachers discussed their experiences and the reasoning behind their decisions in online course design and delivery during the pandemic. Thirdly, a content analysis of all 504 posts from the 27 teachers in the 12 courses was conducted, providing a breakdown of the specific types of teachers’ online posts found. This study substantiates its significance through empirical, methodological and theoretical dimensions. Empirically, it consolidates findings into a 3x3 matrix, highlighting assessment design and teachers’ catalysis of interactions as the two primary factors explaining the varying levels of online interaction across the twelve online/blended postgraduate courses studied. Thus, to boost student participation in online courses, teachers should design feed-forward assessments to grade online participants and provide clear expectations and guidance in the threaded discussions. Methodologically, the study critically dissects prevalent misconceptions in the existing literature regarding the application of social network metrics in formal educational settings. It thus introduces a distinctive approach for better characterising online interactions in university learning. Theoretically, this study challenges the conventional perspective of teaching presence in the COI model and proposes that a pre-course design phase should be emphasised. This study underscores the inherent power and influence of online teachers in online learning environments.