Critical Thinking Embedded Essay Test - Advances in Biological Sciences Research volume 10 - International Conference on Biology, Sciences and Education (ICoBioSE 2019)

Oct 5, 2026

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Critical thinking (CT) is a key twenty-first-century competency requiring effective assessment. Students‟ CT can be evaluated using the Illinois Critical Thinking Essay Test (ICTE Test), but Indonesian teachers find it less practical due to the use of multiple evaluation items simultaneously. This study develops a modified critical thinking embedded essay test (CTEETest) with a more practical rubric and compares it with the original ICTE Test using paired-sample t-test on 300 senior high school students in Malang.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

1. Introduction

The need for 21st-century competencies

Rationale for open-ended critical thinking tests

Limitations of multiple-choice and short-answer formats

Illinois Critical Thinking Essay Test (ICTE Test)

Methods and Findings

Advances in Biological Sciences Research, volume 10 International Conference on Biology, Sciences and Education (ICoBioSE 2019) Critical Thinking Embedded Essay Test Siti Zubaidah 1 * Susriyati Mahanal 1 Mistianah 1 Ahmad Fauzi 1 1 Biology Education, Universitas Negeri Malang *Corresponding author. Email: [siti.zubaidah.fmipa@um.ac.id](siti.zubaidah.fmipa@um.ac.id) ABSTRACT Critical thinking (CT) is one of the essential twenty-first-century competencies that need to be empowered. The development of students‟ critical thinking (CT) can be assessed using the Illinois Critical Thinking Essay Test (ICTE Test) . However, due to the constant use of multiple evaluation items at one time, Indonesian teachers consider ICTE Test less applicable. Therefore, by adding some modifications to the ICTE Test, amore practical rubric for assessing students‟ critical thinking, namely critical thinking embedded essay test (CTEETest), was developed. The difference between the ICTE and CTEE Tests results was also investigated in this study. The participants of this study consisted of 300 students who were enrolled in the natural science program at senior high schools in Malang, Indonesia. A 5-item essay test was administered to the students. Their answers were assessed using both the ICTE Test and CTEE Test rubrics. The results of the paired sample t-test showed that there was no significant difference between the ICTE Test and CTEE Test rubricsin evaluating the participants' critical thinking. Therefore, the use of the CTEE Test rubric is highly recommended. Keywords: critical thinking, critical thinking skills assessment, ICTE Test, CTEE Test 1. INTRODUCTION People from the current era need to acquire various competencies to compete with others in the real world [1] . In regards to this matter, every individual needs to think critically towards every opportunity that comes their way [2] . Flexibility allows people to be competent in facing a world which keeps changing into an unpredictable direction [3] . As an educational institution, schools are responsible for producing graduates who are equipped with 21st century competencies [4]–[6], including critical thinking [5], [7] . Critical thinking (CT)is the ability to think clearly and rationally about what needs to be done [8] . John Dewey defines critical thinking as active, persistent, and thorough consideration of a belief or knowledge that is accepted as what it is and viewed from the standpoint of reasons that support it and the conclusions that follow as a tendency[9] .Besides, Dr. Richard Paul from the Foundation for Critical Thinking describes critical thinking as an art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a developing perspective. To think critically is to be independent and discipline in monitoring self and correcting one‟s mind. Critical thinking, to a certain extent, consists of logical and reflective thinking skills that focus on deciding what to do or what to believe [10] . Schools are expected to be able to produce critical thinkers [11]who are ready to face a new era of globalization [12] . Individuals with critical thinking will be able to evaluate, analyze, and interpret information [13] . These individuals are capable of dealing with various challenges and problems [14]as well as adjusting themselves into diverse situations [3] . They can handle not only simple but also complex or unusual problems[15] . Critical thinkers can make a constructive decision when faced with everyday conflicts and provide arguments which are organized in such a way to support their decision [16] . Given such benefits of critical thinking in life, CT is thus considered as a key to interdisciplinary problem-solving [15] . In attempting to empower students‟ critical thinking, the development of an appropriate assessment tool is indispensable. A wide array of critical thinking tests have been developed. Unfortunately, the majority of the tests are formulated as multiple-choice

FAQs

Why is the ICTE Test considered less applicable in Indonesian schools?

Teachers consider it less practical because multiple evaluation items are used at one time.

How was the CTEETest developed in this study?

The authors added modifications to the ICTE Test to create a more practical rubric for assessing students‟ critical thinking.

What was the study’s main statistical conclusion when comparing the two rubrics?

A paired sample t-test showed no significant difference between the ICTE Test and CTEETest rubrics in evaluating students‟ critical thinking.

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by Himbo