Abstract: The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education has outpaced the development of coherent theoretical frameworks explaining how AI influences instructional processes. Existing research often adopts technologically deterministic assumptions, attributing instructional effects directly to AI systems while under-theorizing the role of human pedagogy. This study introduces and confirms Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Teaching Presence Theory (HC-AI-TP), a middle-range explanatory theory that conceptualizes AI as instructionally neutral until enacted through human teaching presence. Using a theory-confirmation design with a sample of 200 participants, six theory-derived hypotheses were tested to evaluate the internal coherence, directional logic, and boundary conditions of the theory. Ordinary least squares regression analyses demonstrated that Human-Centered AI strongly predicted Teaching Presence (β = .60, R² = .36, p < .001). Teaching Presence, in turn, significantly predicted both Social Presence (β = .55, R² = .30, p < .001) and Cognitive Presence (β = .58, R² = .34, p < .001). Mediation analyses using bootstrapped indirect effects confirmed that Teaching Presence fully mediated the relationships between Human-Centered AI and both Social Presence (indirect β = .33, 95% CI [.24, .43]) and Cognitive Presence (indirect β = .35, 95% CI [.26, .45]). Direct effects from Human-Centered AI to Social and Cognitive Presence were non-significant, confirming the theory’s boundary condition and rejecting technologically deterministic explanations. Collectively, the findings confirm the internal coherence and empirical plausibility of HC-AI-TP, establishing Teaching Presence as the central mechanism through which AI influences instructional environments and providing a theoretically grounded foundation for subsequent application and outcome-focused research.
Keywords: human-centered artificial intelligence, teaching presence, theory confirmation, instructional mediation, higher education.
Title: Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Teaching Presence Theory (HC-AI-TP): A theory of instructional amplification in AI-enabled education
Author: Dr. David Augustine Bull
International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology Research
ISSN 2348-1196 (print), ISSN 2348-120X (online)
Vol. 14, Issue 1, January 2026 - March 2026
Page No: 19-44
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 24-January-2026
