Untitled

Abstract

Contribution/Originality: The paper's primary contribution is finding that teachers' with high and average experience in teaching Mathematics have significantly better understanding (in terms of cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects) in constructing HOTS Mathematic items compared with teachers who have low experience. As such, this paper has crucial pedagogical implications. 1. INTRODUCTION Higher order thinking skills (HOTS) and problem solving skills are essential for every student to be able to think and solve their daily problems and be more productive in their future careers. According to Suhaili (2014) HOTS are seen as an essential component of competition in today's globalized world as argued by Rajendran (2010) the workforce needs workers who are able to use the maximum level of thinking in problem solving. According to the Malaysian Education Development Plan 2013-2025 (2013), high-level thinking skills (HOTS) should be applied in all subjects especially Mathematics since Mathematics is the driving force for development in the field of Science and Technology, which also develops the quality of their daily life. The effectiveness of teaching and learning of HOTS items in Mathematics is very much depends on the teachers' understanding and their readiness to teach the subject (Abdullah, Alhassora, & Abu, 2017). Teachers'