Constructing Arabic Grammar Test Items Involving Higher-Order Thinking Skills; The Obstacles Against the Teachers

Abstract

Students of language classes need assessments of their higher-order thinking abilities to prepare them to face the challenges of globalization and the future. Teachers’ abilities and supporting external variables become crucial to achieve this goal. This current study intended to identify and describe obstacles experienced by teachers when constructing test items that reflect students’ higher-order thinking skills. As qualitative descriptive research, this study would comprehensively reveal hidden phenomena and natural conditions using various data analysis tools, such as interviews, observation, and documentation. An Arabic grammar teacher at a private junior high school in Batu City was taken as the research sample. The study discovered that the quality of Arabic grammar test items to reflect higher-order thinking skills is affected by at least two factors: internal and external; the former includes the teacher’s educational and professional qualifications, while the latter comprises stakeholder support and the curriculum.