Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 11, Issue 1, Article 9 (Jun., 2010)
Serhat KOCAKAYA and Selahattin GÖNEN
Analysis of Turkish high-school physics-examination questions according to Bloom’s taxonomy

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Analysis of Turkish high-school physics-examination questions according to Bloom’s taxonomy*

 

Serhat KOCAKAYA1,3 and Selahattin GÖNEN2

1Yüzüncü Yil University, Education Faculty
Department of Physics Education
Zeve Campus, VAN, TURKEY
E-mail: kocakaya@yyu.edu.tr

2Dicle University, Education Faculty
Department of Physics Education
Campus, DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY
E-mail: sgonen@dicle.edu.tr

3Correspondence author

Received 1 Feb., 2010
Revised 10 Jun., 2010

Contents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse and compare the physics questions of the university entrance exam (OSS) with those asked at exams at different schools in Turkey in terms of the levels of cognitive domain of Bloom’s Taxonomy. The study was carried out in four types of high schools (student age: 14–17): ‘Ordinary’, ‘Vocational, ‘Anatolian’and ‘Science’ from Diyarbakır, with 19 physics teachers. It was found that 72.5 per cent of the questions were of the lower-order cognitive skills (LOCS) type. Statistical tests showed that the question types were related to school type (P<0.001). On the other hand, about half of the questions asked in the university entrance examination (OSS) were of the higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS) type 50.9 per cent and of the lower-order cognitive skills (LOCS) 49.1 per cent. This contradiction causes a problem between the assessment at high school and that at the OSS.

Keywords: Bloom Taxonomy, physics education, higher-lower order cognitive skills

*Some part of this study has been presented in 8th National Science and Mathematics Education Symposium, Abant İzzet Baysal University, Bolu-TURKEY.

 

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