Assessing Computer Science Teachers' Competence in Constructing Essay Test Items: A Comparative Study of Lower and Higher Order Thinking Skills in Junior Secondary Schools in Benue State

This study assessed the competence of junior secondary school Computer Science teachers in Benue State, Nigeria, in constructing essay test items based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, comparing the LOTS and HOTS. Adopting a descriptive survey design, the study was guided by two research questions and a hypothesis. The scope targeted junior secondary school Computer Science teachers in the state, and stratified disproportionate random sampling was used to select 105 teachers. Data was collected using the Computer Science Teachers’ Essay Test Item Construction Competency Test (CSTETICCT), a validated 30-item instrument covering all six cognitive levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Instrument reliability was confirmed through a pilot test involving 20 respondents, yielding a KR-20 coefficient of 0.85. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and visual aids (charts and graphs via Microsoft Excel) were used for data presentation. Inferential statistics, including t-test, ANOVA, and post hoc analysis, were conducted using SPSS Version 20. Findings, among others, revealed that teachers demonstrated high competence in constructing items for lower-order thinking skills (knowledge and comprehension), moderate ability at the application level, and low competence in higher-order thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation), these different competency levels in constructing items that assess LOTS and HOTS were found to be significant. The study concludes that while teachers are proficient in evaluating lower-order cognitive skills, there is a notable gap in their ability to develop higher-order assessment items. It recommends continuous professional development, curriculum revision to include specialised Computer Science training, optional certification in assessment design, and mentorship programs to enhance teachers’ assessment competencies across all cognitive levels.