Higher-Order Thinking Skills and Scientific Attitudes Components as Predictors of Scientific Creativity Among Preservice Biology Teachers

Abstract

The study assessed preservice biology teachers' higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), scientific attitudes, and creativity in the study area. The study also evaluated how the components of HOTS and scientific attitudes predict scientific creativity to determine which elements were strong predictors of scientific creativity. The study adopted a correlational survey research design. The population consists of all preservice Biology teachers in Southwestern Colleges of education, from which five hundred were randomly selected from five colleges of education. Three instruments, including Higher Order Thinking skills Test, Scientific Attitude questionnaire, and Scientific Creativity Test, were used to collect data for the study. The result showed that the HOTS scores of the respondents were low, with low mean scores of 2.54, 1.22, and 1.88 from a total maximum possible score of 9, 5, and 6, respectively, the cognitive (=20.00), emotional (=19.05), attitudinal components (=26.67). The mean score for fluency, flexibility, and originality were 14.00, 12.00, and 13.00. It was also seen that a correlation exists between sex and HOTS. The study finally showed that the Analysis (t=2.597, p<0.05) and evaluation (t= 2.115, p<0.05) components of HOTS predict scientific Creativity while cognitive component teachers (t=2.373, p<0.05) of Scientific attitude predicts Scientific Creativity.