Does the Use of Smart Board Increase Students’ Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)?

Results from international assessments focusing on the use of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) show that Malaysian students perform poorly in Data Handling. At the same time, the Malaysian education system is undergoing a dramatic change in which information and communications technology (ICT) is integrated into the education system in order to enhance the overall quality of education. Smart board has become one of the interactive technology tools that are widely used in schools to facilitate teaching and learning practices. Therefore, this study aims to design and develop an active learning instruction using smart board (ALuSB program) to enhance HOTS in Data Handling among students in Malaysian primary schools. The research was divided into two stages. In the first stage, the ALuSB program was developed by using the ADDIE model which integrated five phases, i.e., analysis, design, development, implement, and evaluate. Then, in the second stage, the quasi-experimental design, a non-equivalent control group design with a pre-test and a post-test, was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the ALuSB program on students' HOTS. The students were split into three groups equally, i.e., two experimental groups and one control group. Various instruments, including an ALuSB program evaluation form as well as pre-test and post-test rubrics, were used. The results of the analysis suggest that there is a statistically significant difference between the ALuSB program, an active learning instruction and a conventional learning method in enhancing each level of HOTS in Data Handling among students. Although all students from each group show improvements in enhancing HOTS in Data Handling, the ALuSB program is the most effective method compared to the active learning instruction and the conventional learning method. Therefore, the ALuSB program promotes students' active learning and ownership of learning, supports learning by doing, as well as encourages HOTS and peer sharing.