Teachers Instructional Practices and Authentic Assessment in Private Schools

Abstract

Despite the increasing emphasis on learner-centered instruction and authentic assessment in education, there remains a limited number of empirical studies examining the relationship between teachers’ instructional practices and authentic assessment in private basic education institutions in Zamboanga City. This study addressed this gap by determining the relationship between teachers’ instructional practices and authentic assessment in a private school setting. Specifically, it examined instructional practices in terms of planning of instruction, alignment with curriculum standards, and learner engagement, as well as authentic assessment in terms of performance-based tasks, real-life application, and clarity of assessment criteria. A quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was used. The respondents were 50 teaching personnel from Immaculate Conception Archdiocesan School de Calarian (ICAS de Calarian), Zamboanga City, during the Academic Year 2025–2026. Data were gathered using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire. Weighted mean and standard deviation were used to describe the extent of the variables, while Pearson’s r was used to determine the relationship between them. Results showed that instructional practices were implemented to a great extent (M = 4.32), while authentic assessment practices were also implemented to a great extent (M = 4.28). A significant positive relationship was found between instructional practices and authentic assessment (r = 0.76, p < .05), indicating that better instructional practices are associated with more effective use of authentic assessment. The study concludes that instructional practices and authentic assessment are closely linked components of effective teaching. Teachers who demonstrate strong instructional planning, curriculum alignment, and learner engagement are more likely to implement meaningful authentic assessments that promote critical thinking and real-world application of knowledge. It is recommended that school administrators provide continuous professional development on instructional planning and authentic assessment, while future researchers may extend this study to other contexts and variables.