Examination reform for higher order thinking: A case study of assessment-driven reform in Uganda

Instruction in African contexts remain overwhelmingly rote, limiting the cognitive benefits and skills fostered by education systems. These conditions are reinforced by the high stakes and content of national exams, which primarily measure lower-order thinking skills and so constrain teacher instruction to focus on recall and memorization. Reforming national exams has been proposed as a means of increasing the focus on higher order thinking skill development, but doing so is complex and politically fraught. We present findings from a qualitative case study of assessment-driven reform in Uganda aimed at strengthening higher order thinking on exams and strengthening teacher education curriculum and instruction to prepare teachers’ capacity to instruct for higher order thinking skills within the system. Key findings focus on the capacity gaps within the system that generate the current conditions, the factors influencing the high policy prioritization of the current reform efforts, and the strengths and limitations of the implementation strategy pursued by the partners, in particular, to support teacher capacity strengthening. The paper concludes by discussing the promise and perils of assessment driven reform as a means of strengthening instructional quality in contexts like Uganda. •A lack of focus on higher order thinking in Ugandan examinations is rooted in numerous systemic capacity gaps.•Exam reform is a high policy priority linked to transnational influence, strong leadership, and credible indicators.•Harmonized structural change and capacity strengthening are promising reform strategies.