Cognitive Presence in Learning: A Qualitative Analysis of Discussion Boards Among Students in Science-Related Courses

Date of Award

5-1-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Science Education

First Advisor

Queena N. Lee-Chua, PhDCatherine Genevieve B. Lagunzad, PhD

Abstract

While discussion board has been introduced as an educational tool in online learning, there is limited information as to how it has contributed to the honing of the critical thinking skills of the students during the pandemic. To address this inquiry, this qualitative study focuses on analyzing texts from discussion boards to determine the cognitive presence among the Grade 7 and 8 learners as well as conducting teachers’ interviews to help identify themes that could improve this educational tool.

This study involved coders analyzing 588 postings containing 1854 sentences with pre-defined codes. The results show that most of the students’ responses in the discussion boards are in the exploration phase (68.0%), and integration (29.7%) phases. Furthermore, most of the students’ responses were referential statements (49.2%) and reflections (42.8%), which means that most of the responses to the given question were their personal thoughts which lacked the practical application of knowledge.

The students also expressed how they found the use of discussion boards beneficial for their cognitive presence but they mentioned that they preferred to have questions that reflected more on application in real-life situations. With that said, teachers might consider formulating questions with real-life applications as well as problems that require more interaction among the students compared to just questions focused on reflection. Moreover, it would be beneficial to provide more opportunities for teachers to explore the application by attending seminars and workshops to maximize the features of this tool.

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