Reality of Essay Questions in Final Exams at the College of Education in Shaqra: An Evaluative Study

Reality of Essay Questions in Final Exams at the College of Education in Shaqra: An Evaluative Study.

Abstract:

In light of global shifts toward enhancing higher-order thinking skills, the importance of evaluating university assessment tools, particularly essay questions, is highlighted, as they are key to measuring these skills. This study aims to evaluate the reality of essay questions in final exams at the College of Education in Shaqra, in light of the modified Bloom's Taxonomy, in the context of trends in developing university assessments. The study presents an applied model that can be generalized to colleges of education in Saudi universities, taking into account local characteristics. The study seeks to analyze the reality of essay questions in a typical Saudi educational environment, link them to educational assessment quality standards, and offer applicable solutions. It also aims to determine the diversity of questions and the percentages of representation of cognitive levels, and to analyze the reasons for neglecting higher-order questions (analysis-creativity).

Keywords: Bloom's taxonomy, essay questions, higher-order thinking, assessment reform, Saudi education.

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