Introduction: The present study was conducted to investigate the predictive role of the three elements of Communities of Inquiry (social presence, cognitive presence, and educational presence) in predicting of the university students’ innovative behaviors (idea generation, idea promotion, and idea implementation). Communities of Inquiry are defined as interactive learning environments that foster innovation through social, cognitive, and educational interactions.
Methods: This was a descriptive-correlational study. Data were collected from a sample of 404 students at Mohaghegh Ardabili University (academic year 2024–2025) using the standardized questionnaire of Holman et al. to measure innovative behaviors and the questionnaire of Arbaugh et al. to assess participation in Communities of Inquiry. Data were analyzed using one-sample t-test, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression.
Findings: The results showed that the mean of innovative behaviors and participation in Communities of Inquiry was significantly higher than zero (p < 0.001). A positive and significant correlation was observed between the components of Communities of Inquiry and innovative behaviors (p < 0.001, r = 0.513). Multiple regression analysis indicated that educational presence (β = 0.269), social presence (β = 0.174), and cognitive presence (β = 0.137) significantly predict innovative behaviors and collectively explain 21.07% of its variance (R² = 0.217; p < 0.001).
Conclusion: This research confirmed that the elements of Communities of Inquiry play a significant predictive role in enhancing university students’ innovative behaviors. These findings are consistent with theoretical frameworks such as Wenger’s Communities of  the Practice and Amabile’s model of creativity, and emphasize the importance of designing interactive educational environments to foster innovation