Establishing the Need for HOTS and Computational Thinking Integrated Mathematics Assessment Instruments in Upper Secondary School: A Needs Analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a valid CORE Learning Model. This study investigates the need for a mathematics assessment instrument that integrates Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) with Computational Thinking (CT) components at the senior high school level. Using a qualitative, descriptive-analytical case study approach in upper secondary school in Malang, the study involved three mathematics teachers and 120 Grade XII students. Student data served a dual function: diagnostic tests generated process-level evidence of how students decomposed problems and constructed solutions, rather than correctness alone, while semi-structured interviews triangulated the reasoning strategies observed in students' written work. Document analysis of summative exams characterized the cognitive demands of assessment practices. Data were analyzed through Miles, Huberman, and Saldana's interactive model: data condensation (coding based on HOTS indicators and CT components, data display (matrices comparing student performance across CT components), and conclusion drawing/verification through cross-checking across data sources. Findings revealed that students could only partially decompose problems, with weaknesses in abstraction and algorithmic thinking, while most summative exam questions were low-order and none assessed CT. This gap confirms the need for an integrated HOTS–CT assessment instrument, contributing a novel bridge between abstract mathematical reasoning and systematic computational reasoning, previously undocumented in Indonesian upper secondary mathematics assessment.