Building a critically transformative community of inquiry in an online undergraduate program

Abstract

Higher education can be a powerful tool for advancing social justice. As online programs expand it is imperative that we understand the potential impact of coursework on students' attitudes towards advancing equity and how to increase the potential for positive change in this area.This mixed-methods study examines the impact of online asynchronous coursework designed with the Community of Inquiry Framework (CoI) on early childhood student teachers' beliefs, dispositions, and self-efficacy toward advancing social justice. Phase one analyzed a one-group pretest-posttest survey of student teachers before and at the end of their first year in an online bachelor's degree completion program. Phase two included a case study analysis of course discussions and related content. Findings suggest student self-efficacy and beliefs about social justice shifted over the year. Analysis revealed the role of critical transformative learning practices in supporting student growth. A Critical Transformative Community of Inquiry (CTCoI) model is presented as a framework that enhances the CoI by centering equity in online courses. The CTCoI offers guidance on enacting the CoI through a critical social theory lens and provides practical implications for online course development.