Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 7 no. 8 (2026)

Critical Thinking Disposition, Critical Thinking Skills, and Academic Performance of Prospective Social Studies Teachers: A Mediation Analysis

Michelle M. Del Rosario | Agnes S. Tuazon

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

Critical thinking is necessary among prospective social studies teach- ers so they can cultivate similar ability among their students. The crit- ical thinking disposition motivates individuals to use their critical thinking skills, enabling them to make reasoned decisions or achieve outcomes. However, the influence of critical thinking disposition and skills on academic performance remains underexplored, particularly in Social Studies. Determining the critical thinking levels of prospec- tive teachers and their academic performance is imperative to pro- vide insights into the status of critical thinking among them. How they leverage the ability to achieve academic success indicates the applica- tion and development of critical thinking in the Social Studies pro- gram. Using a quantitative explanatory design, this study examined the effect of critical thinking disposition on the academic performance of prospective Social Studies teachers using critical thinking skills as a mediating variable. It employed total population sampling and in- volved 126 prospective Social Studies teachers enrolled at a compre- hensive State University in the Philippines during the 1st Semester of AY 2025-2026. Adopted questionnaires on critical thinking disposi- tion and skills were used as data collection tools. Frequency, mean, and standard deviation were used to describe academic performance, critical thinking disposition, and skills, while mediation analysis ex- amined the relationships among variables. Findings revealed that So- cial Studies students demonstrate strong critical thinking disposition and skills, as well as above-average academic performance. It con- cluded that although critical thinking skill is inversely associated with students' achievement, critical thinking disposition is a strong predic- tor of academic performance. Designing assessments and instruc- tional activities that develop both dimensions among prospective teachers is strongly recommended. *Corresponding author: E-mail: delrosario.mm@stud.pnu.edu.ph Del Rosario & Tuazon, 2026 / Critical Thinking Disposition, Critical Thinking Skills, and Academic Per-formance of Prospective Social Studies Teachers IJMABER 3303



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