The Mediating Effect of Instructional Management on the Relationship Between Test Construction Skills and Critical Thinking Motivation of Teachers
Melanie Dicdican, Josephine Baguio
Received: 04 January 2026; Revised: 10 February 2026; Accepted: 15 February 2026; Published: 17 February 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.66074/A9S8D7F6G
Abstract
This study investigated whether instructional management mediates the relationship between teachers’ test construction skills and critical thinking motivation in public elementary schools in the Bansalan East District of Davao del Sur. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational design, the research surveyed teachers using standardized questionnaires to assess these three core areas. Overall, teachers demonstrated extensive test construction skills alongside highly extensive levels of critical thinking motivation and instructional management. The analysis revealed strong positive correlations among all three variables. Crucially, mediation analysis demonstrated that instructional management partially mediates the relationship between test construction skills and critical thinking motivation, even as the direct effect of assessment skills on motivation remained significant. Ultimately, the findings indicate that stronger assessment practices enhance student motivation for critical thinking, an effect that is significantly reinforced when teachers operate within environments with robust instructional management.
Keywords: assessment literacy, critical thinking, instructional management, mediation, teacher motivation
Author Information: Graduate School, Rizal Memorial Colleges, Inc., Davao, Philippines; [email protected]