Construction and application of a contextual thinking test for students of the college of education for humanities

Mohammed Hashim Taha Sulaiman AL-Ogaidi

doi:10.30574/wjarr.2026.31.1.1934

What is it about?

This study developed and validated a new Contextual Thinking Test for students of the College of Education for Humanities at the University of Mosul. The instrument consists of 25 objective items designed according to Marzano’s contextual thinking model and was tested on 600 university students. Statistical analyses demonstrated excellent validity, reliability, discrimination, and internal consistency. The findings showed that students displayed an average level of contextual thinking, while female students scored significantly higher than males. The test provides researchers and educators with a reliable instrument for assessing contextual thinking in higher education and supporting future educational and psychological research.

Photo by Nathaniel Shuman on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Contextual thinking is essential because it enables students to connect knowledge with real-life situations, make informed decisions, and apply what they learn effectively. Despite its importance, there has been no standardized psychometric instrument specifically designed to measure contextual thinking among Iraqi university students. This study fills that gap by providing a scientifically validated assessment tool with excellent psychometric properties. The instrument can support educational research, curriculum evaluation, student assessment, and the development of instructional programs that strengthen higher-order thinking skills.

Perspectives

My research focuses on developing scientifically validated psychological and educational measurement tools that can improve educational practice and support evidence-based decision making. I hope this contextual thinking test will encourage researchers from different countries to validate, adapt, and apply the instrument in diverse educational settings. Future studies may examine contextual thinking across different disciplines, educational levels, and cultures to better understand its role in academic achievement and professional development.
Dr. Mohammed Hashim Taha Sulaiman AL-Ogaidi
University of Mosul

This page is a summary of: Construction and application of a contextual thinking test for students of the college of education for humanities, World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, July 2026, GSC Online Press,
DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2026.31.1.1934.
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Construction and application of a contextual thinking test for students of the collegeof education for humanities
The present study aimed to construct and apply a contextual thinking test for students of the College of Education for Humanities. The researcher built a test of (25) objective items scored dichotomously (0, 1), with a total score ranging (0–25) and a hypothetical mean of (12.5). Its psychometric properties were derived from an item-analysis sample of (300) students—yielding the ease and difficulty indices, discriminatory power, and internal consistency—with face validity of (0.96) and a test–retest reliability coefficient of (0.79). The final form was administered to (600) students (340 females, 260 males). The overall mean of the application sample was (12.117), with a standard deviation of (9.617). Compared with the hypothetical mean using the one-sample t-test, the result was t (599) = -0.976, p = 0.3293 (α = 0.05), indicating that the students’ level of contextual thinking did not differ significantly from the hypothetical mean. A statistically significant difference emerged between the sexes in favor of females (females M = 13.412, males M = 10.423; t = 3.815, p = 0.0002).

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Dr. Mohammed Hashim Taha Sulaiman AL-Ogaidi
University of Mosul

A Validated Contextual Thinking Test for University Students

What is it about?

Why is it important?

Perspectives

Resources