Indonesian junior high school students' higher order thinking skills in solving mathematics problems

Abstract

Higher order thinking skills are important for students to help them solve various problems faced over time. Several previous studies on higher order thinking skills have been conducted, but no one focuses on higher order thinking skills at junior high school level in the regions where the average of computer-based national exam results are relatively low in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to find out categories of and describe students' higher order thinking skills in solving PISA problems based on determined indicators. This study used a descriptive qualitative methodology. The instruments used in this study were the PISA test and interview guide. The participants were students in the age range of 15 years randomly selected from several junior high schools in Banda Aceh. At this age, the students' knowledge and abilities could be assessed. Data were collected from the test, interview and documentation that involved 40 participants. This study found that, generally, students had low level of higher order thinking skills, and there were no students who achieved a high level. Therefore, it is recommended to address this issue by developing and improving the students' abilities that require higher order thinking skills so that the students are able to apply their knowledge and skills to solve new problems and implement them in real life situations.