Factorial structure of the Community of Inquiry Survey in a South African open and distance e-learning environment

Abstract

We aimed to determine the factor structure and reliability for the Community of Inquiry Survey in a South African Open and Distance e-Learning Environment. Participants were 572 honours students. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the factorial structures. Structural equation modelling yielded a three-factor structure including perceptions of teaching, social, and cognitive presence. The reliability of scores for the total scale was 0.96. The three-factor structures of the Community of Inquiry Survey had a high internal consistency ranking from 0.90 to 0.95. The Community of Inquiry Survey appears valid for student advisement and support in the South African distance learning environment.

Keywords:

• cognitive and social presence
• community of inquiry
• student engagement
• teaching