The effects of teamwork on critical thinking: A serial mediation analysis of the influence of work skills and educational motivation in secondary school students

Abstract

Social and educational realities require formative systems to be established that develop skills in students such as teamwork, critical thinking and motivational processes. These serve as basic elements that permit effective social and occupational integration. The present study proposed to establish an explanatory theoretical model and sought to compare a serial mediational model containing two variables in order to associate these variables in secondary school students. The present study also sought to analyse the direct and indirect relationships and effects produced between the variables that made up the specified model. The research design was ex post facto and cross-sectional. A quantitative methodology was applied, taking a single measurement from a sample of 1159 participating secondary school students from Spain. Outcomes provide evidence that greater teamwork is related with better developed critical thinking skills. Further, greater teamwork and higher degrees of motivation increased critical thinking, whilst better conceptions of teamwork impacted upon better future work skills. Resultantly, these outcomes imply better educational motivation and higher levels of critical thinking. Another relevant finding was the determination of the importance of mediational effects. In this regard, outcomes pertaining to teamwork were mediated by work skills and, above all, educational motivation, with mediational effects also existing in relation to critical thinking. The sequential mediation of teamwork by work skills and educational motivation was found to be less relevant, although this finding was also statistically significant and should be held in mind.