Does Disciplinary Epistemology Influence Cognitive Presence? Evidence from a Community of Inquiry Study in Hybrid Learning

Abstract

Cognitive presence is the principal component of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. It indicates the scope to which students engage in critical thinking through reflection and discourse in an online learning setting. Previous studies indicate that disciplinary epistemology may impact the nature of leaders' collaborative learning experience. A less studied research area is the impact of epistemology on cognitive presence. This study examined whether epistemological differences between hard-pure (mathematics) and soft-pure (communication) disciplines lead to significant variations in cognitive presence in a hybrid learning environment. A validated CoI survey instrument was used for data collection. The survey instruments were sent to 1,592 students enrolled in technology-mediated undergraduate courses in mathematics and communication courses, representing soft pure and hard pure disciplines, respectively. From the sample received, 92 were usable for analysis. A one-way ANOVA was conducted, which found no statistically significant difference in cognitive presence between the sample population, with a small effect size. These results suggest that disciplinary epistemology alone may not significantly influence cognitive presence. This study contributes empirical evidence to the literature, challenging assumptions about discipline-based differences in higher-order learning within collaborative settings. It also advances the CoI framework by emphasizing the potential mediating roles of teaching presence and social presence in decisive cognitive outcomes. The findings indicate the CoI frameworks' generalizability across disciplines and the vitality of the teaching presence in directing purposeful dialogues that promote interaction, discourse, and metacognitive engagement. The study highlights the importance of pedagogical design in supporting cognitive presence across academic fields and calls for further cross-disciplinary and design-focused research in hybrid learning environments.