Instructional competency of LINUS teachers towards cultivating high order thinking skills (HOTS) in the assessment system

• Main Authors: Yusof, Yusmarwati, Buhari, Alunawati, Roddin, Rohayu, Mukhtar, Marina Ibrahim, Ibrahim, Azhani Che
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Critical thinking; Education; Numeracy; Skills; Students; Teachers; Teaching
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0129498

The global transition of national education that emphasizing on cognitive aspects to high order thinking skills (HOTs) has affected the teaching strategies in schools. There are many studies on HOTS that focusing on students who have no problems in learning. However, HOTs is also seen as a necessity for improving achievement among students who undergone the Literacy and Numeracy Screening (LINUS) Program that introduced by Ministry of Education (MOE) involving Year 1 students in primary schools. LINUS students should be taken seriously because they are the ones who are at risk of dropout and are faced with difficulties in meeting the need for further education and careers. Therefore, the study needs to be done to cultivate HOTs towards LINUS students in line with the aspirations of the national education. Thus, this study was carried out to identify teachers’ instructional competencies in cultivating HOTs among LINUS students in supporting of preserving HOTs in LINUS assessment system. The competencies being studied are teachers knowledge about HOTs, attitude and pedagogy skills towards implementing HOTs. The research design is a survey study using questionnaire instrument. The sample of the study was composed of teachers teaching the LINUS program at few primary schools in Johor. The results of the study showed that teachers possessed a good competency in all elements being studied. This study is expected to promote skills that is relevant to the needs of LINUS students in HOTs assessment system and ultimately to develop students’ thinking skills at high levels leading to increased academic achievement and thus closing the gap of academic excellence between students.