The Interplay Of Positivism And Pedagogical Assessment in Shaping Teacher Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55352/mudir.v8i1.2739Keywords:
Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), Indonesian Education, Pedagogical Assessment, Positivism, Teacher PerformanceAbstract
This paper explores the intricate relationship between positivism, pedagogical assessment, and teacher performance within the contemporary Indonesian educational landscape. Drawing upon a deep philosophical analysis of positivism, from its foundational tenets by Auguste Comte to its modern interpretations and critiques, this study integrates empirical evidence from Indonesia to provide a comprehensive understanding. The article delves into how positivistic approaches have shaped pedagogical assessment methodologies, influencing the evaluation of teacher performance in Indonesia. Furthermore, it examines the implications of these approaches for fostering Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) among students, considering the unique cultural and educational context of Indonesia, including the influence of Pancasila and local values. Through a synthesis of theoretical frameworks and empirical findings, this paper aims to offer insights into optimizing teacher performance assessment to promote a more holistic and effective educational system in Indonesia. Visual elements, including a diagram illustrating the conceptual framework, a relevant image depicting an Indonesian classroom, and a comparative table of positivism and post-positivism, are integrated to enhance understanding and provide a multi-faceted perspective.
References
Arsyad Arrafii, M. (2023). Assessment reform in Indonesia: Contextual barriers and opportunities for implementation. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 43(1), 79-94. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2021.1898931
Aryaningsih, M., Wardana, A., & Sheikh, K. S. (2024). Cooperation, Mutual Respect, and Societal Commitment: Meanings of Gotong-Royong in Indonesian Social Studies School-textbooks. International Journal of Social Learning (IJSL), 5(1), 59-72. https://doi.org/10.47134/ijsl.v5i1.297
Astobiza, A. M. (2025). The role of LLMs in theory building. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 101617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101617
Cariani, P. (2022). Different roles for multiple perspectives and rigorous testing in scientific theories and models: Towards more open, context-appropriate verificationism. Philosophies, 7(3), 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies7030054
Darling-Hammond, L. (2021). Defining teaching quality around the world. European Journal of Teacher Education, 44(3), 295-308. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2021.1919080
de Alencar, J. N., Oliveira, M. H., Sampaio, M. C., Rego, M. F., & Nunes, R. (2024). A Journey Through Philosophy and Medicine: From Aristotle to Evidence-Based Decisions. Philosophies, 9(6), 189. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies9060189
Eslava, E. (2024). Auguste Comte: Science, Reason, and Religion. In T. Rowland, A. Sada, & R. A. de Assunção (Eds.), Joseph Ratzinger in Dialogue with Philosophical Traditions: From Plato to Vattimo (pp. 126-27). London: Bloomsbury Publishing. https://doi.org/10.5040/9780567706898.ch-7
Fedorov, A. A. (2023). Comte and Vygotsky: Revealing the unacknowledged commonalities. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 43(4), 232. https://doi.org/10.1037/teo0000233
Firmansyah, F., Prasojo, L. D., Jaedun, A., & Retnawati, H. (2022). Transformational leadership effect on teacher performance in Asia: A meta-analysis. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 17(6), 2127-2146. https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v17i6.7552
Fitriadi, F., Sinaga, R. M., & Muhammad, R. R. (2024). A literature review on the cultural perspective study in elementary school education in Indonesia. Journal of Innovation in Educational and Cultural Research, 5(1), 51-61. https://doi.org/10.46843/jiecr.v5i1.848
Ghaffarian Asl, S., & Osam, N. (2021). A study of teacher performance in English for academic purposes course: Evaluating efficiency. Sage Open, 11(4), 21582440211050386. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211050386
Guta, M. P. (2021). Metaphysics, Natural Science and Theological Claims: EJ Lowe’s Approach. TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology, 5(2), 129-160. https://doi.org/10.14428/thl.v5i2.62723
Hidayah, A. R., Hanifiyah, F., & Fauzi, A. (2025). Portfolio Assessment Strategies to Improve Prospective Teacher Competency in Islamic Religious Education Learning. Intelektual: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Studi Keislaman, 15(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.33367/ji.v15i1.6464
Hoyningen-Huene, P. (2023). Objectivity, value-free science, and inductive risk. European Journal for Philosophy of Science, 13(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-023-00518-9
Jaramillo, J. J., & Chiappe, A. (2024). The AI-driven classroom: A review of 21st century curriculum trends. Prospects, 54(3), 645-660. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-024-09704-w
Kouam, A. W. (2025). A Systematic Literature Review of Post-Positivism and Critical Realism as Epistemological Frameworks in Educational Research. International Journal of Changes in Education, 2(2), 115-122. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewijce52024338
Levy-Feldman, I., & Libman, Z. (2022). One size doesn’t fit all educational assessment in a multicultural and intercultural world. Intercultural Education, 33(4), 380-390. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2022.2090174
Marabini, A. (2022). Ethics, Education, and Reasoning. In Critical Thinking and Epistemic Injustice: An Essay in Epistemology of Education (pp. 37-104). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95714-8_3
Matta, C. (2022). Philosophical paradigms in qualitative research methods education: what is their pedagogical role? Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 66(6), 1049-1062. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2021.1958372
Musa, M., & Aldiabat, K. (2024). Reconsidering the use of post-positivist paradigm in social sciences: Is it possible? European Journal of Education Studies, 11(7), 101-110. http://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v11i7.5393
Neophytou, L. (2025). An alternative reading of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG): From Foucault’s panopticon to Freire’s humanizing pedagogy. Policy Futures in Education, 23(4), 783-808. https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103251320230
Nieminen, J. H., & Boud, D. (2025). Placing authenticity at the heart of student self-assessment: an integrative review. Teaching in Higher Education, 30(3), 640-662. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2024.2367669
Pan, L., & Hu, X. (2025). Designing Sustainable Digital Platforms for Ageing Societies: A User-Centred Multi-Level Theoretical Framework. Sustainability, 17(18), 8305. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188305
Pilcher, N., & Cortazzi, M. (2024). 'Qualitative' and 'quantitative' methods and approaches across subject fields: implications for research values, assumptions, and practices. Quality & Quantity, 58(3), 2357-2387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-023-01734-4
Prasetyo, Y. (2022). Indonesian integral law based on Pancasila. Pancasila and Law Review, 3(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.25041/plr.v3i1.2443
Pregoner, J. D. (2024). Research approaches in education: A comparison of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. IMCC Journal of Science, 4(2), 31-36. Available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5111007 and https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5111007
Quilty-Dunn, J., Porot, N., & Mandelbaum, E. (2023). The best game in town: The reemergence of the language-of-thought hypothesis across the cognitive sciences. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 46, e261. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X22002849
Ragab, A., Kaid, A., & Sayed, A. K. (2024). Enhancing higher order thinking skills (hots) in education: Strategies and outcomes. TOFEDU: The Future of Education Journal, 3(5), 1488-1499. https://doi.org/10.61445/tofedu.v3i5.267
Rauteda, K. R. (2025). Quantitative research in education: Philosophy, uses and limitations. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 2(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.56916/jmrd.v2i1.993
Rukajat, A., Gusniar, I. N., Abas, T. T., Nurkhalizah, E., & Bachruddin, R. (2024). Utilizing Information and Communication Technology in Scalable Management Strategies for Teacher Development. EAI Endorsed Transactions on Scalable Information Systems, 11(2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.4108/eetsis.4444
Samsudding, A., Thaha, H., & Hasbi, H. (2024). Teacher Learning Management: A Key to Improving Student Academic Outcomes. International Journal of Asian Education, 5(3), 209-220. https://doi.org/10.46966/ijae.v5i3.425
Simuziya, N. J. (2022). A conceptual analysis of how science, religion, and culture interact and influence each other in polities. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1), 2084892. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2084892
Sugiarto, E., Husain, A. H., & Rohidi, T. R. (2025). How Is Interdisciplinary Study in Arts Education Conducted? Epistemological Reflections Towards Postgraduate Students' Research. European Journal of Education, 60(3), e70183. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.70183
Supratama, R., Ramadani, M. M., & Fadilah, H. D. (2024). The Theory of Positivism in Islamic Education, Curriculum and Learning Strategies. International Journal of Post Axial: Futuristic Teaching and Learning, 2(1), 9-17. https://doi.org/10.59944/postaxial.v2i1.263
Welch, C., Paavilainen-Mäntymäki, E., Piekkari, R., & Plakoyiannaki, E. (2022). Reconciling theory and context: How the case study can set a new agenda for international business research. Journal of International Business Studies, 53(1), 4-26. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-021-00484-5
Widayati, W., & Egar, N. (2025). Causal Model of the Influence of Instructional Leadership, Teacher Competence, and Work Culture for Educational Quality in Public Junior High Schools. Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Profesi Guru, 8(2), 328-340. https://doi.org/10.23887/jippg.v8i2.101968
Zakaria, M. A., Ahmad, M. F., & Rahman, M. K. (2021). Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTs): Acting method as approach of critical pedagogy in education culture. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 20(2), 502-516. http://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v10-i2/10132
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mudir : Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




















