Developing the Causal Model of Community of Inquiry Framework and Academic Self-Handicapping with the Mediation of Cyberspace Dependence and Loneliness in Gifted Female Students of the Second High School

The purpose of this study was to develop the causal model of the community of inquiry framework and academic self-handicapping with the mediation of cyberspace dependence and loneliness.

The research method was a correlation of the type structural equation modeling. The population of this study includes all female high school students of Farzanegan Secondary School who were studying in the academic year 2020-2021. The statistical sample size was determined based on the rules of thumb Kline equal to 170 people, which was done by available sampling method and online questionnaire. The instruments used in this study were the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness (UCLA), the Self-handicapping Scale (SHS), and the Community of Inquiry framework (CIF). Data analysis was performed by the SPSS-22 and AMOS-24 software.

The proposed model had a good fit (RMSEA = 0.09, GFI = 0.94, CFI = 0.97). All direct correlations were reported as significant (P<0.01). Moreover, indirect paths between the community of inquiry framework and academic self-handicapping through the mediation of cyberspace dependence and loneliness were significant.

According to the results of this study, the presence of a sense of presence had a significant effect on reducing students' cyberspace dependence and feelings of loneliness, which can decrease their academic self-handicapping; Therefore, in online environments where non-verbal communication in face-to-face meetings is limited, the presence of instructors and learners is essential to prevent cyberspace dependence and feelings of isolation and create a productive online learning environment.