Prior research has emphasized the importance of teaching presence in online learning but has offered limited empirical evidence

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future work and conclusions and abstract and stated research gap of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2022 and 2026, spanning 3 journals. Those papers have been cited 60 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 4 representative gaps

• Can Community of Inquiry Presences Predict Student Persistence in Higher Education Online Courses? (2026) · The Journal of Educators Online · doi

  Our results make a significant contribution to support persistence in online learning. However, certain limitations must be considered. The par- ticipants were enrolled in various programs and at different levels (undergraduate and graduate). Cochran et al. (2014) found that program acted as a mediator in the relationship between certain variables and retention in online courses, while Dempsey and Zhang (2019) obtained differences in perceptions of the presences according to dis- ciplinary differences. It is therefore possible that, in other samples, variables not considered in the present study could mediate relationships between the presences and persistence. Furthermore, we focused on direct effects of the presences on per- sistence while accounting for the established relationships between the presences. As recom- mended by Boston et al. (2010), indirect effects of the presences on persistence should also be con- sidered, notably by introducing other variables, to better understand the complex interactions among factors for persistence. For instance, studies have demonstrated significant links between satisfaction with learning and persistence (Choi & Kim, 2018; Joo et al., 2011; Kahu et al., 2013; Kim & Park, 2015; Park & Choi, 2009; Rao & Giuli, 2010), while other studies found links between satisfaction and certain presences (Arbaugh et al., 2008; Akyol & Garrison, 2008; Caskurlu et al. 2020, Khalid & Quick, 2016; Joo et al., 2011; Liman Kaban, 2021). Reconducting the present study while consider- ing satisfaction would allow not only testing the indirect effects of the presences on persistence, it would also enable creating and validating a more exhaustive model similar to the those mentioned above (Kember, 1989; Park, 2007; Rovai, 2003). JOURNAL OF EDUCATORS ONLINEReferences Akyol, Z., & Garrison, D. R. (2008). The Development of a Community of Inquiry Over Time in an Online Course: Understanding the Progression and Integration of Social, Cognitive and Teaching Presence. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12(3‑4), 3‑22 Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Theories of Cognitive Self‑Regulation, 50(2), 179‑211. https://doi. org/10.1016/0749‑5978(91)90020‑T Ali, A., & Smith, D. (2015). Comparing social isolation ef‑ fects on students attrition in online versus face‑to‑face courses in computer literacy. Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 12, 11–20. https://doi. org/10.28945/2258 Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2011). Going the distance: Online educa‑ tion in the United States, 2011. Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group. https://files.eric.ed.gov/ fulltext/ED529948.pdf Anderson, T., Rourke, L., Garrison, D. R., & Archer, W. (2001). Assessing teaching presence in a computer conferencing context. Online Lear

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: online presences persistence learning certain variables effects satisfaction park garrison https significant considered found courses
• Exploring the relation between cognitive presence, self-regulated learning, and learning transfer: Insights from medical sonography postgraduates (2026) · Online Learning · doi

  However, the findings also highlight that learning transfer in online environments remains an underexplored area and warrants further research. Given the limited research on learning transfer within online higher education, this study offers an initial understanding of student perspectives on cognitive presence, SRL, and learning transfer in online environments, and provides evidence on how these variables collectively influence student learning.

  generalconclusions
  Keywords: learning transfer online environments student highlight remains underexplored area warrants further given limited within higher
• Establishing Social, Cognitive, and Teaching Presence in Online Learning—A Panacea in COVID-19 Pandemic, Post Vaccine and Post Pandemic Times (2022) · Journal of Educational Technology Systems · cited 60× · doi

  While literature surrounding issues associated with transition to online learning and students’ satisfaction with online courses has started to emerge, there is paucity of work that addresses the gap in research—importance of faculty presence in online classes and how to build strong presence to create meaningful learning experiences for students especially as we continue to adapt to new normal and prepare for post-COVID world.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: online learning students presence literature surrounding issues associated transition satisfaction courses started emerge there paucity
• Exploring the relationship between teaching presence, self-regulation, and co-regulation in online courses (2026) · Online Learning · doi

  Prior research has emphasized the importance of teaching presence in online learning but has offered limited empirical evidence on how specific components interact to influence student metacognitive processes. There is a need for more research to help further our understanding of how best to develop the awareness and regulatory strategies to monitor and manage learning processes that enhance student learning outcomes.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: prior research has emphasized importance teaching presence online

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