Blended learning in higher education: Correlating teaching presence, student engagement, and satisfaction

Blended learning is a new modality for most public higher education institutions in the Philippines. Thus, limited studies have examined the teaching-learning dynamics of the classroom in this context. This study sought to determine the levels of teaching presence, student engagement, and satisfaction among undergraduate students in teacher education programs at a state university adapting a blended learning environment and to correlate these variables to examine how they are associated. Using three standardized questionnaires, data were collected from 419 randomly selected undergraduate teacher education students using a descriptive-correlational research design. The data gathered were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and Pearson r correlation. Results revealed high levels of teaching presence (M = 4.09), student engagement (M = 3.97), and student satisfaction (M = 3.76) among respondents, suggesting that students felt well-guided, engaged, and satisfied with the blended learning modality. Moreover, this study found a strong positive correlation among these variables, indicating that higher teaching presence enhances student engagement and satisfaction, and increased engagement leads to greater satisfaction. These findings corroborate earlier research emphasizing the critical roles of teaching presence and student engagement in student satisfaction, underscoring their importance in implementing blended learning effectively. The study recommends strategies to enhance blended learning in higher education further.