Critical Thinking Skills in Relation to Performance of Students in Procedural and Word Problem Assessment

Authors

Liza S. Misperos

MAEd - Mathematics, La Carlota City College (Philippines)

Sharon L. Apohen, PhD

MAEd - Mathematics, La Carlota City College (Philippines)

Article Information

DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2026.100701111

Subject Category: Education

Volume/Issue: 10/7 | Page No: 16249-16262

Publication Timeline

Submitted: 2026-08-10

Accepted: 2026-08-15

Published: 2026-08-21

Abstract

This study entitled "Critical Thinking Skills in Relation to Performance of Students in Procedural and Word Problem Assessment," examined the relationship between critical thinking skills and mathematics performance on procedural and word-problem assessments among Grade 10 students in Algebra. The study involved one hundred thirty (130) Grade 10 students from a public high school in the Negros Island Region during the school year 2025–2026. Data were gathered using the Critical Thinking Questionnaire (CThQ) developed by Kobylarek et al. (2022) and researcher-made procedural and word-problem assessments that underwent validation and reliability testing. Findings revealed that the students demonstrated an average level of critical thinking skills and attained average performance in both procedural and word-problem assessments. Moreover, the results indicated no significant relationship between students’ critical thinking skills and their performance in either procedural or word-problem assessments. The findings suggest that factors other than critical thinking skills may influence students’ performance in Algebra.

Keywords

Mathematics, critical thinking skills, procedural assessment, word problem assessment, high school students

Downloads

References

1. Bay-Williams, J. M., & SanGiovanni, J. J. (2021). Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics Teaching and Learning, Grades K–8: Moving Beyond Basic Facts and Memorization. Corwin. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Bhandari, P. (2022, December 5). Correlational research: Guide, design & examples. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.co.uk/research-methods/correlational-research-design/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Boaler, J. (2022). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential through Creative Mathematics, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Elder, L., & Paul, R. (2022). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools (9th ed.). Foundation for Critical Thinking. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. OECD. (2023). Education at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Rittle-Johnson, B., & Siegler, R. S. (2021). The relation between conceptual and procedural knowledge in learning mathematics: A review. In R. Cohen Kadosh (Ed.), The Development of Mathematical Skills (pp. 75–110). Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Ryan, E. (2025, February 19). What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 4, 2026, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/critical-thinking/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. UNESCO. (2023). Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Technology in Education- A Tool on Whose Terms. UNESCO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. UNICEF. (2024). The State of the World's Children 2024. UNICEF. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2022). Elementary and middle school mathematics: Teaching developmentally (11th ed.). Pearson. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Vicente, S., Lieven Verschaffel, Sánchez, R., & Múñez, D. (2022). Arithmetic word problem solving: Analysis of Singaporean and Spanish textbooks. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 111(3), 375–397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-022-10169-x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

Metrics

Views & Downloads

Similar Articles