Scientific stories in the assessment of higher order thinking skills

Özpir H. C., Balcı Çömez C., BENZER E.

Cogent Education, vol.12, no.1, 2025 (ESCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 12 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/2331186x.2025.2460226
  • Journal Name: Cogent Education
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Keywords: analytical thinking skills, bloom’s taxonomy, creative thinking skills, critical thinking skills, Higher-order thinking skills, Middle School Education, Science Education, Teaching & Learning - Education
  • Marmara University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study investigates how 5th grade students use their thinking skills based on a story about ‘Let’s Get to Know Living Beings’ in the Science course. The study group consists of 62 students from a private and a public school in Istanbul. Using a case study design, an activity featuring the story ‘The Tiny Fern’ and related questions was developed to examine students' analytical, critical, and creative thinking skills. Student responses were analyzed through descriptive analysis based on criteria aligned with the revised Bloom’s taxonomy. The findings indicate that 5th grade students demonstrate a moderate level of these thinking skills and have deficiencies in making comments. It is recommended to conduct further studies to assess higher-order thinking skills.