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Journal of Educational Action Research
Volume xx, Issue xx, 2022, pp. xx- yy
P-ISSN: 2580-4790 E-ISSN: 2549-3272
Open Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.23887/jear.v6i1

Teachers' Self-Efficacy and Professional Competence in

Writing HOTS Questions through In House Training

Lita Pujiastuti1 *, Shely Cathrin2 , Unik Ambar Wati3

1,2,3
Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

ARTICLEINFORE ABSTRAK
High Order Thinking Skill (HOTS) is one of the approaches that is considered
Article history:
Received
important in developing higher order thinking skills. This study aims to analyze
Revised the implementation of In House Training (IHT) for teachers in preparing HOTS
Accepted questions, improving teachers' competence in preparing HOTS questions, and
Available online increasing teachers' self-efficacy in preparing HOTS questions. This study used a
School Action Research (SAI) design with two cycles. Data were collected through
Keywords: observation and questionnaire methods. The observation instrument was used to
High Order Thinking Skill, teacher measure teachers' ability in developing HOTS questions, while the questionnaire
competency, teacher self-efficacy, in was used to measure teachers' self-efficacy. Data were collected from eight
house training teachers at SD Negeri 2 Danguran, Klaten Regency. The results showed that the
Keywords: In-house Training (IHT) was able to improve teachers' ability to develop Higher
High Order Thinking Skill, teacher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions and also teachers' self-efficacy. There
competencies, teachers' self-efficacy, was a significant increase in teachers' ability to design HOTS questions between
In House Training cycle I and cycle II, with the average score increasing from 68.75 in cycle I to
86.25 in cycle II. In addition, teachers' self-efficacy also increased, with the
average score increasing from 3.63 in cycle I to 3.96 in cycle II.

ABSTRACT
This is an open access article under the CC
BY-SA license. High Order Thinking Skill (HOTS) is considered a crucial approach in the
Copyright © 2022 by Author. Published by development of higher-order thinking abilities. This research aims to analyze the
Ganesha University of Education. implementation of In-House Training (IHT) for teachers in composing HOTS
questions, the enhancement of teacher competencies in crafting HOTS questions,
and the improvement of teachers' self-efficacy in composing HOTS questions. This study utilizes a School Action Research
(SAR) design with two cycles. Data was gathered through observation and questionnaires. The observation instrument
was used to measure teachers' abilities in composing HOTS questions, while the questionnaire was employed to gauge
teachers' self-efficacy. Data were collected from eight teachers at SD Negeri 2 Danguran, Klaten Regency. The research
results demonstrate that In-House Training (IHT) effectively enhances teachers' proficiency in creating Higher Order
Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions as well as their self-efficacy. There was a significant improvement in teachers' question
design abilities between Cycle I and Cycle II, with the average score rising from 68.75 in Cycle I to 86.25 in Cycle II.
Additionally, teachers' self-efficacy has also increased, with the average score progressing from 3.63 in Cycle I to 3.96 in
Cycle II.

1. INTRODUCTION
Education is a key component in economic, social, and cultural development, competent human
resources contribute to increased productivity, innovation, and competitiveness of a nation. (Bunawar,
2022). Education covers various aspects such as knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required by each
individual to live and develop in society. (Filho et al., 2018). The purpose of education is to hone a critical
and creative mindset so that students are ready to compete in the world of work. (Kembara et al., 2019)..
International competition requires the education system to equip individuals with strong cognitive skills.
However, in practice, some graduates from schools and universities lack the competencies needed in the
21st century, such as creativity, critical thinking, effective communication, and cooperation (Nadeak &
Naibaho, 2019). (Nadeak & Naibaho, 2020).. Critical thinking relates to the ability to derive meaning from
given information or data. Individuals who have critical thinking skills have the ability to rationalize and
make inferences. (Alkhatib, 2019). On the other hand, creative thinking skills are also required. This
ability allows individuals to come up with selling points in the form of uniqueness that can make them
have differentiating points and advantages over others. In realizing this, it is very important to consider

*Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected] (First Author)
Journal of Educational Action Research, Vol. xx, No. xx, 2022, pp. xx-yy 2

various strategies to improve the quality of education. One way is to train students to think at the top level
or High Order Thinking Skill (HOTS).
High Order Thinking Skill (HOTS) is a process in which learners perform higher cognitive level
thinking. This process develops from various cognitive concepts and methods, and refers to learning
taxonomies such as problem solving methods, Bloom's taxonomy, and taxonomies in the context of
teaching and assessment. (Saputri et al., 2019). HOTS is a way of thinking that is higher than simply
memorizing facts, presenting facts, or applying rules, formulas, and procedures (Andoko, 2020; Ishmael et
al., 2019). (Andoko, 2020; Ishartono et al., 2021; Nurmala & Mucti, 2019).. HOTS skills occur when
individuals are already at the top three levels in Bloom's revised Taxonomy, namely the analysis,
evaluation, and creation stages. (Walid et al., 2019). The learning process that uses HOTS as the basis of
the process can increase the meaning of the learning process because students memorize the material
taught, understand, analyze, and apply their knowledge to solve problems. (Oktaviana & Susiaty, 2020)..
Several previous studies have shown that mastering HOTS can improve critical thinking, creative thinking,
logical thinking, and reflective thinking skills. (Indah, 2020; Muhibbuddin et al., 2023; Yamin et al., 2021)..
According to Ghanizadeh et al. (2020)According to Ghanizadeh et al. (2020), in the context of
HOTS, students perform broad thinking to face new challenges. Higher order thinking requires individuals
to apply newly acquired information or knowledge and manipulate that information to reach possible
solutions in situations that have never been faced before. Several studies have defined HOTS with specific
characteristics: (1) involving more than one correct answer; (2) focusing on depth of understanding; (3)
characterized by complex tasks; and (4) content-neutral and content-related. HOTS not only includes
higher order thinking skills, but also involves creative thinking skills. The importance of higher order
thinking skills, as emphasized by Venkatraman et al. (2022)(2022), is that to compete in the world of
work and personal life, students must have critical thinking, creative, and problem-solving skills.
According to Bloom's Taxonomy, HOTS fall into the five highest levels: analysis (C4), evaluation (C5),
synthesis (C6), imagination (C7), and creation (C8).
The application and development of HOTS in education is very important. When students have
higher order thinking skills, they can approach problem solving in their learning experience effectively
and confidently. (Tanudjaya & Doorman, 2020). When learning activities focus on the development of
HOTS, this has a significant impact on more effective learning, increases the intellectual capabilities of
teachers and students, and requires educators to frame questions that cannot be easily answered simply.
This in turn improves the quality of education. Teachers must creatively design HOTS questions that fit
the curriculum and consider the characteristics of the subject. Teachers' awareness of global issues, skill
in selecting question stimuli, and ability to select competencies to be tested are important aspects that
need to be considered in creating quality items. (Hamzah et al., 2022).
In terms of the characteristics of HOTS questions, several researchers have their own opinions.
The characteristics of HOTS problems are non-algorithmic, complex, have multiple solutions, involve
variation in decision making and interpretation, application of multiple criteria, and require effort
(Pratiwi, 2017; Umami, Rusdi, & Kamid, 2021). The characteristics of HOTS problems should encourage
critical thinking and creative thinking skills (Conklin, 2012; Saraswati & Agustika, 2020). The
characteristics of HOTS problems are (1) concept transfer from one concept to another, (2) processing
and applying information, (3) finding relationships between different information, (4) using information
to solve problems, and (5) critically examining ideas and information. Based on these three opinions, the
authors tend to modify the criteria for good HOTS questions into (1) complex questions that involve many
concepts, (2) non-algorithmic questions which means the action steps cannot be fully determined at the
beginning, (3) require more than one way, (4) involve variations in decision making and interpretation to
solve it, and (5) use a lot of information to solve the problem (Andoko, 2020; Nurmala & Mucti, 2019).
In terms of the characteristics of elementary school students, the context of student
characteristics studied in this research is the characteristics of student thinking. The thinking
characteristics of elementary school students are still at the formal stage, which means that they are still
on concrete materials that are easily seen and felt by the senses and easily understood (Anwariningsih &
Ernawati, 2013; Cherry, 2020). So, what should be considered is that HOTS problems should (1) have
clear illustrations for students to see and (2) use simple language. Another aspect to consider is the
quality of the questions. To develop a good question, consider the following: (1) material points that must
be in line with the indicators. In this context, the material should be valid as it meets the science subject
curriculum for primary school level. (2) the construction point which includes the question should be
formulated firmly, clearly, unambiguously, and use good Indonesian language rules.
The integration of 21st century skills, especially HOTS, into teaching and learning activities has
drawn pros and cons among education stakeholders (Hashim et al., 2022).. The awareness of education
stakeholders on the importance of teaching HOTS is crucial in ensuring learning success. It would be

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difficult for a teacher or school leader who does not realize the importance of teaching HOTS to prepare
students for the 21st century. Despite the importance of HOTS, the extent to which higher order thinking
skills are taught and assessed continues to be a subject of debate. There is still a lot of confusion especially
in the implementation stage in the classroom. Apart from having to be taught and assessed in all subjects
given at school, the confusion about HOTS is also caused by many factors that occur in the field. (Tyas et
al., 2019).
To be able to develop good HOTS questions, good teacher competence is needed. Notanubun
(2019) argues that competence is a manifestation of mastery of knowledge, attitudes and skills that are
reflected in the ability to work. This indicates that competence is not only about theoretical knowledge,
but also involves attitudes and practical skills. Competence in this context can be considered the end
result of a learning process that involves the internalization of knowledge and the development of
relevant skills and attitudes. This opinion is in line with the view of Mulyasa (2022: 26) who asserts that
competence refers to the ability to carry out something obtained through education. In other words,
education plays an important role in shaping and improving a person's competence.
Pedagogical competence is an ability to process student learning which consists of understanding
students, designing and implementing learning, evaluating learning, and student development to develop
many of their abilities. According to Rachmawati and Daryanto (2014: 103). Priansa (2015: 125) states,
"Teacher pedagogical competence is needed along with the ability possessed by educators to understand
student characteristics, in moral, emotional and intellectual aspects". It applies if an educator must master
the theories and principles of learning. Educators must also understand that each student is unique.
Educators must also be able to optimize the potential of teachers to maximize the abilities that exist
within each of the teachers. There are 10 core pedagogical competencies, namely as follows: (1)
understanding student character in terms of physical, moral, social, cultural, emotional, and intellectual;
(2) understanding learning theories and principles of educational learning; (3) understanding the
curriculum related to the field of development being taught; (4) creatively implementing educational
development activities; (5) functioning information and communication technology to organize
educational development activities; (6) conducting the development of students' potential to develop
their various potentials; (7) communicating effectively, empathetically, and politely with students; (8)
creatively calculating the value and evaluation of the learning process and the end; (9) functioning the
results of value and evaluation for the benefit of learning; (10) carrying out reflective actions to improve
the quality of learning.
Teachers who are able to design effective HOTS questions have a significant influence on the way
students learn and develop higher order thinking skills. Studies that have been conducted, as outlined by
Black (2017) and Brown et al. (2019), show that teachers who are skilled in designing HOTS questions
have a deep understanding of the subject matter and the ability to identify key concepts that students
need to master. These teachers are able to present the material in a way that stimulates students' thinking
and encourages them to think critically, analytically, and creatively. In addition, teachers' competence in
designing HOTS questions also affects how students participate in the learning process. Teachers who are
able to develop relevant and challenging HOTS questions will create a more interesting and meaningful
learning experience for students. This is reinforced by findings from research conducted by Smith (2018)
and Johnson (2020) which highlight the important role of teachers in designing HOTS questions as an
instrument to motivate students and increase their engagement in learning.
In addition to competence, efficacy also plays an important role in making HOTS questions by
teachers. According to Albert Bandura in John WSantrock's book (2013: 180), the word self-efficacy is the
belief that people can master conditions and produce results that are not negative. Belief in self-efficacy
greatly influences the form of behavior chosen to do, how much effort is given, how long it will last to face
trials and failures, and a person's resilience. A person with more self-efficacy tends to choose to try to do
difficult tasks, never give up, be confident, calm and without anxiety when anxiously dealing with tasks,
and process thoughts in an analytical pattern. A person who has chosen less self-efficacy feels reluctant to
have confidence that they can complete the tasks given by superiors or others, so he tries his best to avoid
these tasks, easily despairs when faced with difficult conditions, is anxious when doing the tasks given,
always feels disturbed by anything, has difficulty thinking and acting can not be silent and analysis.
The results of pre-research observations show that the majority of teachers at SDN 2 Danguran
still do not have competence in developing questions using the HOTS approach. The results of pre-
research observations also showed that the majority of teachers tended to only take from LKS or other
source books without paying attention to the suitability of the question items with the indicators and
basic competencies that had been determined. This is reinforced by the results of the researcher's
interview with the teacher of SDN 2 Danguran who said that the teacher had not been able to compile
good and correct question items. The results of the interview found the fact that 6 teachers out of 8 class

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teachers or 75% did not fully understand the preparation of valid and correct question items. Ideally,
teachers should be able to make questions that can stimulate students to be more active, creative, and able
to innovate in developing their knowledge. Teachers must be able to make questions that can measure the
ability of students to reason critically at a high level. (Manurung et al., 2021)..
Based on the results of observations made at SD Negeri 2 Danguran, it shows that the majority of
teachers have not paid attention to which questions have HOTS (High Order Thinking Skill) levels or vice
versa, namely LOTS (Low Order Thinking Skill). Based on the results of pre-research observations
conducted at SDN 2 Danguran, it shows that there are only 2 teachers out of 8 teachers at the school who
are able to develop questions with a HOTS approach. This can be seen in the following table:

Table 1 Results of Pre-Research Observation of the Ability to Develop HOTS Questions for Teachers at SD
Negeri 2 Danguran
Materia Problem Languag Categor
No. Teacher Name Total Score
l Construction e y
1 Subject 1 20 10 20 50 Less
2 Subject 2 20 20 20 60 Less
3 Subject 3 10 0 20 30 Less
4 Subject 4 10 10 20 40 Less
5 Subject 5 20 0 20 40 Less
6 Subject 6 30 20 20 70 Less
7 Subject 7 20 10 20 50 Less
8 Subject 8 20 10 20 50 Less
Average 15,63 8,13 6,75 30,5
Source: Primary data processed (2023)
Description: Maximum score = 100
KKM score = 80
The pre-research observation table shows that the majority of teachers at SD Negeri 2 Danguran
have not mastered the ability to develop HOTS-based questions. All teachers at SD Negeri 2 Danguran who
have not mastered the ability to develop HOTS-based questions. The results of pre-research observation
measurements show that the average score of the ability obtained is 48.75 from 10 indicators of HOTS
question preparation skills. Teachers have not compiled HOTS-based questions, still focusing on LOTS
questions. LOTS is the ability of students to think functionally, students also tend to only follow the
direction of the teacher or other smarter students. LOTS questions only explore students' ability to
memorize, remember, understand, and apply the material they have learned. In the current era, what is
needed are questions that can stimulate students to think at a higher level or what we know as HOTS
(High Order Thingking Skill).
The low ability of teachers in preparing HOTS-based questions can be caused by the lack of
training or workshops on HOTS for teachers in these schools. (Herawati, 2021). There is also a factor of
limited resources such as references to HOTS questions which can also be an obstacle. (Menggo et al.,
2021). The inability of teachers to develop HOTS-based questions can have an impact on the learning
process that is not optimal because the test questions given tend to only measure students' low thinking
skills such as basic knowledge and understanding (Nur'aeni et al., 2021). (Nur'aeni et al., 2021).. This
condition certainly requires attention from the school and local education office to provide training and
other supporting facilities so that teachers in elementary schools improve their competence in developing
HOTS-based test questions.
The author chose In House Training (IHT) to train teachers' skills in item preparation. IHT is
internal training conducted at schools, teachers' working groups or other places designated to organize
training. (Hidayat, 2022). The purpose of IHT in this case is to train the skills of educators and education
personnel. The advantages of In House Training (IHT) are improving new skills and experiences, saving
costs, communication and cooperation between fellow teachers are getting stronger, making it easier to
find solutions to problems faced by each teacher, the content of the material according to the needs of the
teacher, especially in the learning class, can be followed by all teachers, and the training time is more
practical and does not interfere with the main agenda at school. (Ali and Takdir, 2021). Training with the
IHT method was carried out at SD Negeri 2 Danguran, Klaten Regency. The basis for choosing this school
as a research site is because the teachers are still relatively young and proficient in information
technology (IT), so it is still easy to carry out self-development to improve their competence. In addition,
there are also problems as described above, namely that teachers have not mastered the preparation of

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HOTS question instruments, which is an important aspect in training and developing students' skills to be
more active and creative. Based on this description, this study aims to analyze (1) the implementation of
In House Training for teachers in preparing HOTS questions; (2) increasing teacher competence in
preparing HOTS questions; (3) increasing teacher self-efficacy in preparing HOTS questions.

2. METHODS
The research was structured using the School Action Research (SAI) design by adopting the
Action Research model of Kemmis and Mc. Taggart model, which is in the form of a spiral from one cycle
to the next. The research was conducted in two cycles where each cycle consisted of two meetings. Each
cycle includes planning, action, observation, and reflection. The research was conducted at SD Negeri 2
Danguran Kec. Klaten Selatan, Kab. Klaten. The research subjects were 8 teachers who worked at SD
Negeri 2 Danguran. Research data were collected through observation and questionnaire methods. The
observation method was used to measure teachers' ability to develop HOTS-based questions. The
observation sheet consists of 10 indicators to measure the suitability of questions created by teachers
with HOTS criteria. The indicators of question observation assessment can be seen in the following table:

Table 2 Observation Sheet to Measure Teachers' Ability to Develop HOTS Questions for
Teachers at SD Negeri 2 Danguran
N Component Indicator Value
o.
1 Material Problem uses an interesting stimulus (new, 10
encourages learners to read)
Questions use contextual stimuli 10
(images/graphics, text, visualizations, etc.,
appropriate to the real world)
The problem measures the cognitive level of 10
reasoning (analyzing, evaluating, creating) in its
solution
Answers implied in the stimulus 10
2 Problem Question items are clearly formulated 10
Construction Images, graphs, diagrams, or tables and the like 10
function clearly
Question items do not cause double meanings 10
3 Language Questions do not contain elements of SARAPP 10
(Ethnicity, Religion, Race, Intergroup,
Pornography, and Politics)
Use language in accordance with the rules of 10
Indonesian, for regional languages or foreign
languages in accordance with the rules.
Does not use local/taboo language 10
Total 100
This research is considered successful if it has reached a total score of the average teacher's work
ability, 80%. That consists of planning learning activity programs, implementing learning activities, and
evaluating or assessing learning. (Uyuni, 2019).
The next research instrument used was a questionnaire to measure teacher efficacy. The teacher
efficacy questionnaire instrument was developed by adopting the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale first
developed by Tschannen-Moran & Hoy (2001). which consists of 12 favorable question items with a Likert
measurement scale of 1-5.

Table 3 Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale

No. Dimensions Item Number Total
1 Efficacy in Student Engagement 2, 3, 4, 11 4
2 Efficacy in Instructional Strategies 5, 9, 10, 12 4
3 Efficacy in Classroom Management 1, 6, 7, 8 4
Total 12

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

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Results
The results of the pre-research evaluation on Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions on
eight teachers at SD Negeri 2 Danguran revealed that all teaching staff at SD Negeri 2 did not fully
understand the framework and components in making HOTS questions. They do not have an adequate
understanding of HOTS question development. The teachers also do not realize the importance of using
HOTS questions in the implementation of the learning process as a guide to achieve learning success.
Cycle I was the initial stage in the implementation of the research, which involved school
guidance. This cycle aimed to overcome the obstacles that arose when designing HOTS questions. The
initial step in the implementation of Cycle I was to conduct a pre-test before the main material was
presented. The purpose of this pre-test was to measure the extent to which the participants had mastered
the material to be presented in the In-house Training activity. After the pre-test, the material was
presented, and the participants then made HOTS questions based on the guidelines for preparing HOTS
questions that had been determined from the grids that they had previously made. After the preparation
of HOTS questions and grids, the results were evaluated directly by the resource person. Teacher
assessment in terms of test preparation and development of HOTS items is adjusted to the indicators and
basic competencies that have been determined. The results of this Cycle I action can be found in the table
below.

Table 4 Teacher's Ability to Develop HOTS Questions in Cycle I

Component
Research Subject Materi Problem Languag Total Score Category
al Constructions e
Subject 1 20 20 20 60 Less
Subject 2 40 20 20 80 Good
Subject 3 30 20 20 70 Less
Subject 4 30 20 20 70 Less
Subject 5 20 20 20 60 Less
Subject 6 40 20 20 80 Good
Subject 7 30 10 20 60 Less
Subject 8 20 30 20 70 Less
Average 28.75 20.00 20.00 68.75

As shown in the table above, teachers' ability to create Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
questions requires development, considering that most teachers still get a total score below 80. There are
only two teachers who have good abilities in preparing HOTS questions. Based on the results of the
research in cycle I, the researchers reflected on the development of in-house training (IHT) activities in
cycle II to produce more optimal results. Based on the results of the researchers' reflection, in
implementing this action, the researchers did the following: (1) The principal explained the basic steps in
developing HOTS questions; (2) The principal asked the teachers to complete the HOTS question sheet
provided for practice; (3) The principal encouraged the teachers to write five HOTS questions, specifying
the core competencies, indicators, and topics to be completed within one week; (4) The teachers
presented the questions they created at home; (5) The researcher observed and recorded aspects that
needed improvement: The researcher had to take more actions in Cycle II compared to Cycle I.
The second cycle lasted throughout the third week. After receiving more comprehensive
instructions from the principal about improving the quality of the items, the teachers made adjustments
and then passed them back to their colleagues. During the implementation of Cycle II, the researcher
improved the action by performing a series of activities as follows: These tasks included (1) Providing
feedback by analyzing the items; (2) Instructing how to create items that are in line with the indicators;
(3) Providing guidance in selecting content appropriate to the competencies being assessed; (4)
Explaining the arrangement of answer choices to ensure consistency and logic; (5) Providing guidance in
writing balanced answer choices; and (6) Offering guidance in the use of language in accordance with the
subject matter guidelines for each item.

Table 1.5 Teacher's Ability to Develop HOTS Questions in Cycle II

Research Subject Component Total Score Category

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Materia Problem Languag

l Constructions e
Subject 1 40 20 20 80 Good
Subject 2 40 30 20 90 Good
Subject 3 50 20 20 90 Good
Subject 4 40 20 20 80 Good
Subject 5 30 30 20 80 Good
Subject 6 50 30 20 100 Good
Subject 7 30 30 20 80 Good
Subject 8 40 30 20 90 Good
Average 40.00 26.25 20.00 86.25

Based on the results of the assessment of the teacher's ability to develop HOTS questions in cycle
II, it is known that there was an improvement in the teacher's ability in cycle II. After being given a more
intense arrangement, the average on the assessment of each work indicator increased significantly, this
can be seen that the teacher's ability to create HOTS questions has improved. In cycle II, it is known that
all teachers at SD Negeri 2 have met the minimum success standard set, which is > 80. The average value
of teacher ability shows a value of 86.25, indicating that the average value obtained has exceeded the set
success criteria of 80. Therefore, it can be concluded that the provision of in-house training (IHT)
interventions is able to improve the ability of teachers at SD Negeri 2 in developing HOTS questions.
Comparison between cycles is a comparison of the average value obtained in each cycle, namely
pre-cycle, cycle I, and cycle II. The results of the comparison between cycles can be seen in the following
diagram:

Figure 1: Comparison Results between Cycles of the Ability to Compose HOTS Questions

The comparison of average scores per indicator between cycles shows that there is a significant
increase in average scores in cycle II, especially in the aspect of mastery of HOTS material. The
comparison results showed that the mastery of the material at the pre-cycle stage was 18.75 and
increased to 28.75 in cycle I and then increased significantly to 40 at the cycle II stage. The improvement
in the ability to develop HOTS questions was also followed by an increase in teacher self-efficacy. This can
be seen in the following table:

Table 6 Results of Inter-Cycle Comparison of Teacher Self-Efficacy

Pre Cycle Cycle I Cycle II
Subject
Average Description Average Description Average Description
Subject 1 2.92 Medium 3.42 Good 3.42 Good
Subject 2 3.17 Medium 3.75 Good 4.42 Very good
Subject 3 2.58 Less 3.33 Medium 3.83 Good
Subject 4 2.67 Medium 3.33 Medium 3.92 Good
Subject 5 2.67 Medium 3.75 Good 3.75 Good
Subject 6 3.58 Good 4.42 Very good 4.67 Very good

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Subject 7 3.08 Medium 3.58 Good 4.00 Good

Subject 8 2.92 Medium 3.42 Good 3.67 Good
Average 2.95 3.63 3.96

Minimum 2.58 3.33 3.42

Maximum 3.58 4.42 4.67

Table 6 shows the changes in teacher self-efficacy in the three research cycles. There was a
significant increase from pre-cycle (2.95) to cycle I (3.63), and a further increase from cycle I to cycle II
(3.96). These results reflect that teachers experienced an increase in self-efficacy through the
implementation of in house training (IHT). The increase in self-efficacy indicates higher confidence in their
ability to teach and facilitate learning, especially in the transition from cycle I to cycle II. This increase in
self-efficacy is a positive result of the change in learning approach implemented in this study.

Discussion
The results of the research and the description of cycle I and cycle II show that in-house training
(IHT) is able to improve teachers' ability to develop HOTS questions and teacher self-efficacy. The average
assessment of the ability to develop HOTS questions in cycle I was 68.75 and increased dramatically to
86.25 in cycle II. The teacher efficacy assessment also showed an increase from 3.63 in cycle I and
increased to 3.96 in cycle II. This study achieved significant findings related to the impact of in-house
training on improving teachers' ability to develop Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions and
teacher efficacy.
High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) is an approach to learning that emphasizes higher order
thinking skills, such as analysis, evaluation, and creation. (Kusuma et al., 2017; Yulianto et al., 2019)..
HOTS-based learning requires students to think deeply, not just memorize theories. This method hones
students' critical thinking skills because each student has the freedom to understand and implement the
knowledge they have acquired. (Wiyaka et al., 2020).. The teacher acts as a facilitator in learning, not the
main source of knowledge in HOTS learning. (Yulianto et al., 2019).. HOTS questions are types of questions
that require critical thinking in solving them, not just remembering, memorizing, understanding, and
applying. HOTS questions require students to have further skills, namely being able to analyze, evaluate,
and create. (Sari et al., 2019). HOTS questions can train students to think critically and creatively which is
needed in the context of learning and assessment to face the challenges of the 21st century. (Widana,
2020).
In-house training can improve teachers' ability to develop HOTS questions. This is in line with the
concept of education that emphasizes the importance of teacher professional development. (Diana, 2021).
Through this training, teachers are given the knowledge and skills needed to design questions that
encourage higher-order thinking, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. (Herawati, 2021). The
training also provides guidance and concrete examples in the preparation of HOTS questions. (Uyuni,
2019). Thus, teachers become more skilled in designing evaluation instruments that are in line with
learning objectives that promote higher-order thinking skills. IHT is an internal training conducted in
schools, teachers' working groups or other places designated to organize training. (Hidayat, 2022). The
purpose of IHT in this case is to train the skills of educators and education personnel. The advantages of In
House Training (IHT) are improving new skills and experiences, saving costs, stronger communication and
cooperation between fellow teachers, making it easier to find solutions to problems faced by each teacher,
the content of the material according to the needs of the teacher, especially in the learning class, can be
followed by all teachers, and the training time is more practical and does not interfere with the main
agenda at school. (Ali and Takdir, 2021).
In-house training has a very important role in improving teachers' pedagogical competence.
Teacher professional development theory emphasizes the importance of developing pedagogical
competence as one of the key elements in improving the quality of education. (Akimov & Malin, 2020).
Teachers have the opportunity to access the latest knowledge in pedagogy, teaching methods, and current
curriculum through in-house training. (Diana, 2021). Teachers can deepen their understanding of learning
theories, effective teaching practices, and relevant evaluation strategies. (Mustamin, 2021). In-house
training also provides teachers with the opportunity to design and implement better teaching practices,
focusing on aspects such as student-centered lesson planning, differentiation of learning, and the use of
technology in learning. (Wiyaka et al., 2020).. In-house training also facilitates the exchange of experiences
and collaboration between teachers, allowing them to enrich their insights on diverse pedagogical
approaches (Fadil & Aryani, 2021). (Fadil & Aryani, 2021).

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The results of this study are in line with research conducted Herawati (2021) which explains that
In-house Training is able to improve teacher competence in preparing HOTS questions. Research Diana,
(2021) revealed that In-house Training can directly improve teachers' pedagogical competence in carrying
out learning tasks.

4. CONCLUSION
The conclusion from the results of this study is that In-house Training (IHT) can improve
teachers' ability to develop Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions and also teacher self-efficacy.
There was a significant increase in teachers' ability to design HOTS questions between cycle I and cycle II,
with the average score increasing from 68.75 in cycle I to 86.25 in cycle II. In addition, teachers' self-
efficacy also increased, with the mean score increasing from 3.63 in cycle I to 3.96 in cycle II. This increase
reflects that the in-house training successfully provided teachers with greater knowledge, skills and
confidence in designing HOTS questions. This is important in the context of education because HOTS-
based learning requires students to think critically and creatively, which are essential skills in facing the
challenges of the 21st century.
The suggestion for future research is to involve more teachers and educational institutions in In-
house Training, so that the positive impact can be felt by more parties. In addition, further research could
identify factors that support the effectiveness of in-house training in improving teachers' pedagogical
competence. Thus, this study makes an important contribution to the development of teacher
professionalism and improving the quality of education.

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