Bloom's Taxonomy
A foundational hierarchical framework classifying cognitive learning objectives into six levels of complexity: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.
Overview
Bloom's Taxonomy is a cornerstone educational framework that categorizes cognitive learning objectives into hierarchical levels of complexity. Originally created in 1956 and revised in 2001, the framework moves sequentially from lower-order thinking skills (LOTS)—Remembering, Understanding, and Applying—to higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)—Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating. The framework asserts that higher-level cognitive operations build upon mastery of foundational lower-level knowledge.
In the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd), Bloom's Taxonomy is deeply embedded in everyday teaching operations. It dictates how learning competencies are written in the MATATAG curriculum, guides teachers in drafting Daily Lesson Logs (DLL) and Detailed Lesson Plans (DLP), and governs the construction of test items via the Table of Specifications (TOS) under DepEd Order No. 31, s. 2020. DepEd mandates that classroom assessments incorporate a balanced distribution of 60% LOTS (Remember, Understand, Apply) and 40% HOTS (Analyze, Evaluate, Create) to cultivate critically thinking Filipino learners.
History
Bloom's Taxonomy was originally published in 1956 by educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom and his collaborators (Max Englehart, Edward Furst, Walter Hill, and David Krathwohl) under the title 'Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Handbook I, Cognitive Domain'. It aimed to establish a common language for educators to classify educational goals and assessment items.
In 2001, Lorin Anderson (a former student of Bloom) and David Krathwohl published a major revision. Key changes included: changing category names from nouns to active verbs (e.g., Knowledge became Remember, Synthesis became Create), rearranging the top two levels (placing Creating above Evaluating), and introducing a two-dimensional framework separating the Cognitive Process dimension from the Knowledge dimension (Factual, Conceptual, Procedural, Metacognitive). This revised taxonomy is the standard reference used in DepEd policies today.
Framework Structure
Level 1: Remember (Recalling Knowledge)
Purpose
Retrieve relevant facts, terms, basic concepts, and answers from long-term memory.
Expected Outcome
Accurate recall of baseline facts, formulas, dates, and definitions.
Teacher's Role
Presents facts, provides definitions, uses flashcards, and quizzes basic memory retention.
Student's Role
Recites, defines, lists, identifies, names, and recalls key facts and terminology.
Level 2: Understand (Constructing Meaning)
Purpose
Demonstrate comprehension by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, and stating main ideas.
Expected Outcome
Clear explanation and translation of concepts in the student's own words.
Teacher's Role
Explains concepts, asks clarifying questions, prompts paraphrasing, and provides examples.
Student's Role
Explains in own words, summarizes, classifies, compares, and interprets charts/texts.
Level 3: Apply (Executing or Implementing)
Purpose
Apply acquired knowledge, facts, techniques, and rules in a new or concrete situation.
Expected Outcome
Successful execution of procedures or problem solving in familiar and novel scenarios.
Teacher's Role
Provides practice problems, models step-by-step procedures, and sets up practical simulations.
Student's Role
Executes calculations, demonstrates skills, solves word problems, and completes lab procedures.
Level 4: Analyze (Differentiating & Organizing)
Purpose
Break material into constituent parts to examine relationships, organizational structures, and motives.
Expected Outcome
Analytical breakdown highlighting structural components, patterns, and cause-effect links.
Teacher's Role
Provides complex texts/data, prompts structural breakdown, and facilitates comparative analysis.
Student's Role
Differentiates, organizes, outlines, contrasts, and identifies underlying assumptions/causes.
Level 5: Evaluate (Checking & Critiquing)
Purpose
Make judgments based on criteria, standards, validity of evidence, or quality of work.
Expected Outcome
Defended judgment or formal critique supported by explicit standards and evidence.
Teacher's Role
Presents conflicting arguments, establishes evaluation criteria, and leads debates.
Student's Role
Critiques, judges, defends positions, justifies choices, and evaluates validity of sources.
Level 6: Create (Generating & Producing)
Purpose
Put elements together to form a coherent whole or reorganize elements into a new pattern or original product.
Expected Outcome
Original artifact, innovative model, policy proposal, or creative synthesis project.
Teacher's Role
Presents open design briefs, facilitates creative brainstorming, and coaches product synthesis.
Student's Role
Designs, formulates, constructs, invents, composes, and produces original products/solutions.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Unpack your target DepEd MATATAG Learning Competency and identify its verb level in Bloom's Taxonomy. Step 2: Design your Daily Lesson Log (DLL) to scaffold up the taxonomy during the week: start Monday/Tuesday with Remember & Understand, move Wednesday to Apply & Analyze, and reserve Thursday/Friday for Evaluate & Create. Step 3: Draft test items in your Table of Specifications (TOS) matching the 60/40 rule: - 30% Remember & Understand (Multiple choice recall, matching definitions) - 30% Apply (Solving multi-step math problems, applying grammar rules) - 20% Analyze (Interpreting graphs, comparing historical events) - 10% Evaluate (Critiquing an essay argument, judging scientific claims) - 10% Create (Designing a solution, writing an original composition) Step 4: Formulate questioning prompts using explicit action verbs: 'Recall X' (Level 1), 'Explain Y in your own words' (Level 2), 'Calculate Z using formula' (Level 3), 'Differentiate A from B' (Level 4), 'Justify which option is superior' (Level 5), 'Design a plan to reduce pollution' (Level 6). Step 5: Use Bloom's Taxonomy sentence starters during classroom discussions to elevate student thinking on the spot.
Classroom Example
Grade 8 English - Analyzing Short Stories (e.g., 'The Wedding Dance' by Amador Daguio): - Remember: List the main characters and setting of the story. - Understand: Summarize the conflict between Awiyao and Lumnay in 3 sentences. - Apply: Identify examples of figurative language used in the story and explain their meaning. - Analyze: Compare and contrast the cultural expectations of tribal traditions versus personal love depicted in the narrative. - Evaluate: Judge whether Awiyao's decision was justified based on the cultural norms of his community, defending your answer with evidence. - Create: Write an alternative ending to the story from Lumnay's perspective set in modern-day Philippines.
Advantages
- Provides a universal, structured framework for designing instruction, learning objectives, and assessments.
- Ensures cognitive progression from basic factual recall to complex, high-level creative synthesis.
- Directly assists DepEd teachers in creating balanced Tables of Specifications (TOS) and periodic exams.
- Encourages teachers to move beyond rote memorization by explicitly requiring HOTS questions.
- Facilitates clear communication among educators regarding expectations for student achievement.
Limitations
- Can falsely imply that learning is strictly linear, when real-world thinking often loops fluidly between levels.
- Over-reliance on action verbs can lead to superficial classification if the task context is ignored.
- Developing high-quality Level 5 (Evaluate) and Level 6 (Create) test items requires extensive teacher effort.
- Struggling learners may be trapped indefinitely at LOTS levels if teachers assume they cannot attempt HOTS tasks.
- Does not directly measure non-cognitive factors like emotional resilience, social skills, or physical domain skills.
Best Subject Areas
These are recommendations, not strict rules. Many frameworks can be adapted across subjects.
Common Mistakes
Assuming a verb automatically determines the level without considering the task's actual cognitive demand.
Spending 90% of instructional time at the Remember/Understand levels, depriving students of HOTS practice.
Testing HOTS (Analyze/Evaluate) on exams without having ever taught or modeled those levels during daily lessons.
Treating the taxonomy as a rigid step-by-step staircase where students are forbidden to 'Create' until they memorize everything.
Confusing Bloom's Taxonomy (cognitive process verb complexity) with Webb's DOK (depth of mental processing context).
Teacher Tips
Keep a printed 'Bloom's Taxonomy Verb Chart' pinned to your lesson planning desk for quick reference while writing DLLs.
Use the 'Up-Leveling Question' strategy: after a student answers a Remember question, immediately ask an Analyze or Evaluate follow-up.
Include at least one HOTS prompt (Analyze, Evaluate, or Create) on every daily exit ticket.
Ensure your quarterly Table of Specifications (TOS) reflects the DepEd 60% LOTS / 40% HOTS assessment weighting.
Encourage students to use Bloom's verbs when writing self-reflection journals.
Blank Planning Template
Fill in each section with your own lesson plan details. This is a blank template — do not expect a completed lesson plan.
1. Learning Competency & Level Identification
State DepEd MATATAG code and identify targeted Bloom's cognitive level.
2. Scaffolded Objective Sequence
Write 3 distinct lesson objectives spanning LOTS (Remember/Understand) to HOTS (Analyze/Create).
3. Instructional Questioning Plan
Provide specific classroom prompts for each targeted Bloom's level.
4. TOS Assessment Grid Alignment
Map proposed assessment items across Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create.
5. Differentiated HOTS Extension
Detail extension task for advanced learners targeting Level 6 (Create).
Printable Checklist
0 of 6 items checked
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the key difference between the 1956 original Bloom's Taxonomy and the 2001 Revised Version?
The 2001 revision changed category names from nouns to active verbs (e.g., Knowledge -> Remember), swapped the top two levels (placing Creating at the apex above Evaluating), and added a two-dimensional framework separating Knowledge types from Cognitive Processes.
Can primary school students (Grades 1-3) perform HOTS tasks like Evaluate and Create?
Absolutely! Young children can evaluate simple choices (e.g., 'Which character made a better decision and why?') and create original outputs (e.g., 'Draw a new ending for the story'). Cognitive depth is not restricted by age.
How does Bloom's Taxonomy apply to DepEd Table of Specifications (TOS)?
DepEd TOS templates organize test item distribution across Bloom's levels, typically grouping them into Easy (Remember/Understand - 60%), Average (Apply/Analyze - 30%), and Difficult (Evaluate/Create - 10%).
Is 'Create' always harder for students than 'Evaluate'?
In the 2001 revision, 'Create' is considered the highest cognitive synthesis level because it requires synthesizing multiple original elements into a novel structural whole, building upon evaluation criteria.
References
Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain
Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956) — David McKay Company, New York
A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.) (2001) — Longman, New York
A revision of Bloom's taxonomy: An overview
Krathwohl, D. R. (2002) — Theory Into Practice, 41(4), 212-218
Interim Guidelines for Assessment of Learning Outcomes Under the K to 12 Basic Education Program (DepEd Order No. 31, s. 2020)
Department of Education (DepEd) (2020) — DepEd Complex, Pasig City