K-12 students' higher-order thinking skills: Conceptualization, components, and evaluation indicators

Higher-order thinking skills are essential for future citizens. Therefore, it is important to understand its conceptualization, components, and evaluation indicators. The aim of this study was to construct and validate a framework of indicators for evaluating higher-order thinking skills. We used a three-step mixed-method research design and collected expert opinions through a questionnaire. First, a literature review found that higher-order thinking skills include problem-solving, metacognitive, critical thinking, teamwork, and innovation development skills. Then, there was a general consensus among 11 evaluators regarding the conceptualization, components, and evaluation framework of higher-order thinking skills through two rounds of Delphi questionnaires. The results show that critical thinking and innovation development skills are the most important dimensions of higher-order thinking skills. In each sub-dimensions, sense of innovation and thinking creatively received the highest weighting. In conclusion, this study not only proposes a compilation for evaluation indicators of K-12 students' higher-order thinking skills, but also provides support for the measurement and development of higher-order thinking skills.