A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Teaching Presence Instrument in an Online Computer Applications Course
Academic research has consistently shown effective teacher presence to be a significant factor in stu-dent satisfaction, engagement, perceived learning, and sense of community. The need for effective teaching presence remains of significant importance, particularly with the vast growth of online courses and online degree programs. It is, therefore, also necessary to evaluate the instruments used to measure effective teaching presence. The purpose of this study was an examination of the construct validity of a survey instrument developed to assess effective online teaching presence. Data included teaching pres-ence survey results from undergraduate students enrolled at a large research university in the United States. No demographic data were collected, other than gender, which did not reveal significant data in the study. This study has contributed to the literature of the field by concluding the 13-item Arbaugh Teaching Presence instrument did not measure the teaching presence construct as intended. Through examination of academic literature, modifications to the teaching presence instrument since 2003 may have compromised structure and validity of the original teaching presence survey. Development and testing of a new teaching presence instrument, utilizing empirical research and learning outcomes, is recommended.
