An assessment of eighth graders’ mathematics higher order thinking skills in the Chinese context
Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and the assessment framework of PISA, this study aimed to develop a three-dimensional assessment framework to measure junior high school students’ higher order thinking skills in mathematics in China. A total of 28,153 eighth graders from 11 districts and counties in Z city were involved in the test. The results showed that (1) in the Mathematical ability dimension, students scored the lowest in Problem-solving; (2) in the Cognitive level dimension, students scored the lowest in Evaluate; (3) there was little difference between students’ scores on problems in Realistic and Intramathematical situations; (4) there were significant differences in the higher order thinking skills of students at different academic levels; and (5) there were no gender differences in students’ higher order mathematical thinking skills (HOMTS). Implications for assessment in HOMTS and suggestions for future study are discussed.
Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and the assessment framework of PISA, this study aimed to develop a three-dimensional assessment framework to measure junior high school students’ higher order thinking skills in mathematics in China. A total of 28,153 eighth graders from 11 districts and counties in Z city were involved in the test. The results showed that (1) in the Mathematical ability dimension, students scored the lowest in Problem-solving; (2) in the Cognitive level dimension, students scored the lowest in Evaluate; (3) there was little difference between students’ scores on problems in Realistic and Intramathematical situations; (4) there were significant differences in the higher order thinking skills of students at different academic levels; and (5) there were no gender differences in students’ higher order mathematical thinking skills (HOMTS). Implications for assessment in HOMTS and suggestions for future study are discussed.