Exploring the Influence of Social, Teaching and Cognitive Presence in Online Learning: A Case Study of Learning Japanese

Online learning has revolutionised education by providing flexibility and accessibility to students worldwide. Despite this, fostering meaningful engagement in virtual settings continues to be a significant challenge for educators and researchers. The influence of social presence on teaching and cognitive presence in online learning is based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. According to Garrison and Arbaugh (2007), there are three types of presences in online learning: (a) social presence, (b) teaching presence, and (c) cognitive presence. This study investigates the influence of social, teaching and cognitive presence in online learning for Japanese as a foreign language. A quantitative survey based on Garrison and Arbaugh (2007) was conducted, consisting of four sections: a demographic profile with four items and 34 items measured using a 5-point Likert scale via Google Forms. The questionnaire was answered by 184 students studying Japanese from three clusters, Science and Technology, Arts and Humanities, and Business and Administration at a public university in Malaysia. The findings reveal that learners highly value (a) social presence, (b) teaching presence, and (c) cognitive presence as integral to their learning experience. Additionally, the correlation analysis highlights significant relationships between these types of presence, emphasizing the need for a balanced and integrated approach to improve the overall online learning experiences. It also emphasizes the need for educators to incorporate these components into their course design and classroom environments to enhance Japanese language learner engagement, communication, and overall satisfaction. Future research should investigate the mechanisms through which social presence impacts teaching and learning outcomes in online settings.