Forms of Assessment Used by Teachers and Critical Thinking Ability of Learners in Social Studies

The study examined the relationship between assessment methods used by teachers and the critical thinking ability of Grade 6 learners in Kibawe East District, Bukidnon, during the 2024-2025 school year. It focused on how often teachers used formative, summative, continuous, criterion-directed, and self-assessment in Social Studies, assessed learners' critical thinking, and determined whether there was a significant correlation between these factors. However, there remains a gap in understanding how specific assessment practices directly influence the development of each dimension of critical thinking skills. Using a descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 238 randomly selected learners through questionnaires adapted from Nagowah and Nagowah (2009) and Kobylarek et al. (2022). The findings revealed that teachers frequently used various assessment methods to evaluate student learning. Learners demonstrated high critical thinking, showing strong abilities in analysis, evaluation, and application of knowledge. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant correlation between the use of these assessments and learners’ critical thinking ability, indicating that diverse assessment strategies support critical thinking development. Based on these results, teachers are encouraged to continue using varied assessment methods to monitor progress and improve learning outcomes. Exploring innovative assessment strategies may further enhance student engagement and learning experiences.