Validity and Reliability of HOTS Instruments for Early Childhood

A Preliminary Study

Abstract

This study aims to develop and examine the validity and reliability of an assessment instrument for measuring Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in early childhood. The lack of instruments tailored to the developmental characteristics of young children remains a gap in the field of education, as most existing HOTS measurement tools are not specifically designed for early childhood learners. This research employed a quantitative approach within the framework of Research and Development (R&D), focusing on content validity through expert judgment, construct validity, and reliability testing. The study was conducted at TK Al-Quran Al-Hakim, located in Burneh Village, Bangkalan Regency, with a sample of 30 children in group B, approximately 6 years old. The results indicated that the content validity assessed by three experts yielded a score of 86.1%, categorized as “good.” Construct validity testing showed that 10 out of 15 items were valid (r calculated > 0.361). Furthermore, the reliability test produced a Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.838, indicating high internal consistency. Therefore, the developed HOTS instrument is considered valid and reliable, and it can be effectively used to assess higher-order thinking skills in early childhood education.