ZepQuiz-Based Economics Evaluation Tool Successfully Boosts High School Students' Critical Thinking

Ilustration by AI 

FORMOSA NEWS

Researchers from the State University of Surabaya, Astri Pramudhita Pratama and Retno Mustika Dewi, have successfully developed a Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)-based economics evaluation instrument using the interactive gamification platform ZepQuiz for supply and demand topics. Published in the International Journal of Integrative Sciences (IJIS), Volume 5, No. 7 (July 2026 issue), the study demonstrates a significant improvement in the critical thinking abilities of 10th-grade students at SMAS IPIEM Surabaya. This breakthrough addresses the scarcity of digital, higher-order thinking assessment tools within secondary education curricula.

Overcoming Conventional Assessment Challenges in the Digital Era

21st-century educational transformation demands a pivot from rote memorization toward measuring critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Under Indonesia's Kurikulum Merdeka, high school economics requires a contextual understanding of market dynamics, including price mechanisms, supply and demand shifts, and market equilibrium.

However, baseline observations at SMAS IPIEM Surabaya revealed that existing examinations were dominated by Lower and Middle Order Thinking Skills (LOTS/MOTS). Traditional paper-and-pencil tests often lack student engagement and fail to stimulate active participation. Integrating HOTS frameworks with the ZepQuiz gamification platform created an interactive, enjoyable, and intellectually stimulating assessment environment.

ADDIE Model Development and Rigorous Testing

The development process followed the systematic ADDIE model consisting of five phases: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.

Test items were constructed based on the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy at cognitive levels C4 (Analyzing), C5 (Evaluating), and C6 (Creating), while incorporating Facione’s critical thinking dimensions (interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, and explanation). Before classroom deployment, the instrument underwent expert validation and item analysis.

Expert validation results demonstrated high instrument feasibility:

• Evaluation Expert: 91% (Highly Feasible)
• Media Expert: 83% (Feasible)
• Content Expert: 81% (Feasible)
• Language Expert: 100% (Highly Feasible)

From an initial pool of 30 multiple-choice questions, psychometric analysis via Anates V4 yielded 20 finalized items that demonstrated empirical validity, high reliability (reliability coefficient of 0.78), balanced difficulty levels, and functional distractors.

Key Findings: Marked Rise in Student Critical Thinking

Implementing the ZepQuiz-assisted digital evaluation produced measurable improvements in students' analytical performance.

The core empirical findings from the implementation phase include:

1. High Critical Thinking Gain: Normalized Gain (N-Gain) analysis yielded a mean score of 0.7170 (71.70% effectiveness). This falls under the High improvement category, indicating a substantial increase in critical thinking scores from pretest to posttest.
2. Overwhelmingly Positive Student Feedback: The student response questionnaire using the Guttman scale recorded an overall acceptance rate of 97.71% (Very Good).
3. Category Breakdown:

• Visual Display & User Interface: 97.00%
• Content and Language Clarity: 97.00%
• Perceived Utility in Learning Assessment: 98.67%

Students noted that visual stimuli, price graphs, and real-world case studies rendered supply and demand concepts easier to analyze compared to traditional paper exams.

Educational and Institutional Implications

This study provides practical implications for economics educators and school administrators. Utilizing e-quiz gamification tools like ZepQuiz transforms stressful testing environments into engaging, interactive learning activities.

Real-time feedback and leaderboard features keep students motivated while answering complex HOTS items. The authors recommend that secondary schools adopt interactive, HOTS-aligned digital gamification tools across other social science disciplines.

"Integrating HOTS items into the ZepQuiz platform serves not only as an achievement measuring tool, but also as an effective learning resource that trains students to evaluate economic phenomena critically," stated Astri Pramudhita Pratama and Retno Mustika Dewi in their study.

Author Profiles

• Astri Pramudhita Pratama, S.Pd. – Lead author and researcher from the Economics Education Department at the State University of Surabaya (UNESA), specializing in digital learning evaluation media and educational innovation.
• Dr. Retno Mustika Dewi, S.Pd., M.Pd. – Advisor and senior lecturer at the State University of Surabaya (UNESA), with expertise in economics learning methodologies, educational assessment, and curriculum development.

Research Source:

Article Title: Development of an Economics Evaluation Tool Based on Higher Order Thinking Skills (Hots) Using Zepquiz for The Topic of Supply and Demand
Journal: International Journal of Integrative Sciences (IJIS)
Publication Year: 2026 (Vol. 5, No. 7, 2026)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v5i7.50

URL : https://journalijis.my.id/index.php/ijis/index