Abstract

There are misconceptions associated with the teaching and learning of geometry in either a secondary school or a university context where both contexts of learning geometry are characterized by a high retention rate. However, to improve geometry cognition in open and distance learning contexts where a fully online learning context is dominant, a community of inquiry remains critical. This research avers that teaching based in a completely online context poses challenges of social and cognitive presence in learning geometry while teaching that applies a hybrid mode sets a good base for online learning. Nonetheless, facilitation in a context where online learning dominates should prioritize the teaching presence that is open to particularism by maintaining universal standards of geometry learning. That is, teaching presence should promote confidence and group competency to support individual competency. A qualitative case study inquiry was used to engage thirty-seven purposively sampled education students in online and blended discourses in geometry. The findings reveal that a community of inquiry has a positive effect on geometry teaching and learning in an open distance learning context. The effect emerges through an effective teaching presence in blended learning coursework where social presence is initiated to support relatedness, group cohesion, collaboration, free expressiveness, and, ultimately, individual autonomy and competence. In essence, ways of assisting students to acquire better cognition in geometry education pertain to nurturing their need for relatedness, competency, and autonomy through a community of inquiry.