Social Presence and Self-Efficacy in Relation to Student Satisfaction in Online Learning Setting: A Predictive Study

This study investigated the levels of social presence, online learning self-efficacy, and student satisfaction among undergraduate students taking online courses from the School of Educational Sciences at the University of Jordan during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hypothesized that the relationships between these variables and the degrees of social presence and online learning self-efficacy could predict student satisfaction in these online learning settings. To this end, we used a stepwise multiple regression model for student satisfaction involving social presence and online learning self-efficacy. Data were collected from a sample of 435 participants, all of whom were undergraduate students enrolled in the summer semester at the University of Jordan in 2020 Academic Year. The results demonstrated that the undergraduate students had high levels of online learning self-efficacy and moderate levels of social presence and student satisfaction. The study also revealed a significant positive relationship between social presence, online learning self-efficacy, and student satisfaction. The findings revealed that social presence and online learning self-efficacy impact and significantly predict student satisfaction in higher education institutions in Jordan in online learning settings. Based on these results, the authors recommend that instructors at these institutions foster social presence to enhance student satisfaction.