A simple displacement-based, quadrilateral 20 DOF(5 DOFper node) bending element based on the first-order shear deformation theory for analysis of arbitrary laminated composite plates is presented in this paper. This element is constructed by the following procedure: (i) the variation functions of the rotation and the shear strain along each side of the element are determined using Timoshenko's beam theory; and (ii) the shear strain, rotation and in-plane displacement fields in the domain of the element are then determined using the technique of improved interpolation. Furthermore, a simple hybrid procedure is also proposed to improve the stress solutions. The proposed element, denoted as CTMQ20, possesses the advantages of both the displacement-based and hybrid elements. Thus, excellent results for both displacements and stresses, especially for the transverse shear stresses, can be obtained.