Jun 2026· Edulite: Journal of English Education, Literature, and Culture· Vol 11, pp. 450· 0 citations· 60 references
Abstract
Global challenges and 21st-century skills drive education to prioritize higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) over rote memorization. Educational reforms, including those in Indonesia, emphasize HOTS; however, their successful implementation depends on teachers' abilities. Pre-service teachers recognize the importance of HOTS but struggle to incorporate them into teaching. This study addresses a vital gap in the existing literature by exploring the experiences of six English language pre-service teachers at an Indonesian university who completed a five-month teaching practicum. Utilizing a narrative inquiry approach, the research sought to elucidate the educational experiences of these pre-service teachers and to offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of the pedagogical models employed. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and reflective journals, comprehensive and detailed accounts of personal and professional meaning-making processes were obtained. The findings indicated that the implementation of HOTS involves not only cognitive and technical challenges but also an emotional and identity-formation journey. While lecture notes in university courses help students catalogue theoretical concepts, they often encounter a disconnect between theory and classroom practice, leading to cognitive dissonance as they navigate multiple professional identities. Furthermore, pre-service teachers encountered significant systemic and linguistic constraints, notably students’ limited English vocabulary, strict time constraints, and an exam-oriented educational culture. They had devised strategies to address these challenges, including pedagogical adjustments such as shifting from generic textbook examples to localized, contextualized, and culturally relevant topics, as well as engaging in structured reflection on emotional challenges in collaboration with supportive mentor teachers. The insights gained from this research can inform teacher education programs in planning targeted interventions and methods and may prompt policy revisions aimed at producing graduates equipped with higher-order thinking skills.
The cultivation of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in vocational and technical education has gained considerable priority, particularly given the rapid development of technology and the accelerating demand for non-routine cognitive competencies. Although Morocco has introduced national reforms that aim to embed analytical, evaluative, and creative dimensions within vocational programs, it remains necessary to understand how students perceive these initiatives and to what extent they experience HOTS being fostered during their training. The present study examines first-year students' perceptions of HOTS at OFPPT NTIC Rabat and employs a mixed-methods design combining a quantitative cross-sectional survey based on a Likert-scale questionnaire with qualitative open-ended responses. Forty-two first-year students enrolled in Information and Communication Technology programs participated in the study. Quantitative results indicate moderate HOTS-related conceptual understanding, with students demonstrating stronger awareness of the importance of HOTS for their future careers (M = 3.86) than of the specific cognitive processes involved (M = 3.07). Students also reported partial and inconsistent engagement in analysis- and problem-solving-based activities within their classrooms (M = 3.71 for critical-thinking prompts; M = 3.50 for problem-solving tasks). Qualitative findings reveal that approximately 70% of respondents were able to align their definitions of HOTS with Bloom's taxonomy cognitive levels of analysis, evaluation, and creation, while 20% were unable to provide a clear definition. Students further identified systemic barriers to HOTS development—notably time constraints, packed curricula, excessive rote memorization, and large class sizes. They recommended the integration of project-based learning, active methodologies, and professional teacher development as remedies. These findings highlight a meaningful gap between the national policy aspirations for HOTS integration and the actual classroom experiences of vocational learners, pointing to the urgent need for pedagogical reform within the OFPPT system.
Imad El Arfaoui, Khadija Anasse· Journal of English language...· 0 citations
Philippine secondary education faces challenges in English literacy and higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), as evidenced by low PISA scores and declining EPI rankings. Philippine reading intervention strategies are based on lower-order fluency rather than on critical and analytical thinking. This study developed and tested a Contextualized English Reading Enhancement Module to improve the HOTS of Grade 10 learners through socially relevant issues. It employed a pre-experimental, single-group mixed-methods design at Fortune High School in Marikina City for the year 2025-2026. Forty-two Grade 10 pupils were tested. In order to determine the module structure consisting of 5 lessons, 10 local English teachers and 42 students were surveyed to find 5 relevant social topics: overcoming problems, family relationships, technology and social media, academic pressures, and culture; and 5 least demonstrated HOTS: problem-solving, evaluating, analytical thinking, critical thinking, and metacognition. The data for pretest-posttest comparisons using the Phil-IRI BOSY and MOSY were used to determine the effectiveness of the instruction. Ten teachers reviewed the module. The paired-samples t-test revealed a significantly higher posttest score (M = 21.67) than the pretest score (M = 15.60), t(41) = 8.04, p < .001. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test showed that the Phil-IRI significantly improved (W = 331.0, p = 0.034). Overall weighted mean = 3.54; teacher-evaluators have strongly agreed on the quality of the module. The contextualized reading module, based on students’ lived social experiences and Bloom’s revised taxonomy, could help enhance HOTS performance among Grade 10 Filipino students in a single-school setting.
Sophia Luz Tongohan, Rommel Chester Boquiren· International Journal of Tra...· 0 citations
Practicum programs provide pre-service teachers with the skills and competencies to navigate the teaching experience effectively. The insights gained from three pre-service teachers participating in a practicum program aimed at instructing very young learners within the Ecuadorian context are invaluable for understanding the iterative process that student teachers engage in and informing necessary adjustments to educational programs. This study involved six-semester students enrolled in the Pedagogy of National and Foreign Languages at an Ecuadorian public university, seeking to explore their experiences during the practicum. Data was collected through document analysis, written narrative with a visual component, and semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The findings revealed a cyclical process experienced by the pre-service teachers, beginning with their initial emotions and teaching beliefs and culminating in a sense of fulfillment regarding their experiences, consisting of six specific stages. Special emphasis was placed on psychological factors, such as managing emotions before and during the teaching experience. It also highlights the need to incorporate this emerging issue into teacher development within higher education programs. The study also emphasizes the importance of linking theory and practice as a continuous process to better prepare future English teachers for real-world classroom environments.
Many educators believe that low-achieving students can’t handle higher-order thinking tasks, which may hinder their growth and potential. This study employed a two-cycle collaborative action research design using a mixed-methods approach, and incorporating classroom observations, teacher interviews, and pre- and post-writing assessments, which were analysed using a paired-samples t-test. The participants were 3 Malay language teachers and 47 low-achieving students, all aged 16, from 3 rural secondary schools in Sarawak, Malaysia. The students’ writing performance was analysed quantitatively, while the teachers participated in classroom implementation, intervention and interview. The classroom observation results indicate that teachers rely more on the analysing cognitive domain. A process-based approach enhances higher-order thinking skills in essay writing among low achievers, thereby improving classroom teaching and learning. There was a significant difference between pre- and post-writing assessments, with average essay scores improving by approximately -19.47 points after the intervention. In conclusion, educators knowledgeable about HOTS cognitive domains play a crucial role in supporting struggling students to foster essay-writing abilities. For low achievers, a process-based approach is more effective than a modular approach for enhancing higher-order thinking in essay writing. Teachers should motivate students at all academic levels to participate in tasks that utilise higher-order thinking skills.
Sylvester Yueh Wei Lau, Zuraini Seruji, Noor Aina Dani· LEARN Journal : Language Edu...· 0 citations
The development of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) is an important agenda for 21st-century education, but pedagogical mechanisms explaining how HOTS develops in junior high school classroom practices, particularly in mathematics learning, are still limited. This qualitative study explores the role of transformative learning in mediating students' HOTS development through critical reflection, epistemic dialogue in the classroom, and the meaning of learning experiences. The study used an interpretative-constructivist paradigm with an instrumental qualitative case study design. Data were collected through learning observations of 77 students (grades VII = 27; VIII = 25; IX = 25), in-depth interviews with three teachers (G1-G3), semi-structured interviews with 15 students, and analysis of learning documents. Thematic-reflective analysis resulted in four themes: (1) the gradual and contextual development of HOTS across levels, (2) critical reflection as the main trigger for analysis and evaluation, (3) epistemic dialogue as a space for testing and assessing arguments, and (4) the transformation of learning orientation from a focus on answers to the quality of thinking processes and justification. The findings suggest that HOTS develops through a spiral trajectory influenced by the intensity of reflective scaffolding, norms of classroom dialogue, and a classroom culture that is safe for experimenting and revising reasoning. This study contributes by mapping the mechanisms of how and why transformative learning facilitates HOTS in a junior high school context while also offering practical implications for the design of sustainable reflective and dialogic learning.
M. B, Sriyanti Mustafa, Marwati Abd. Malik· Frontiers in Education· 0 citations
This study explored the barriers experienced by Junior High School (JHS) science teachers in integrating digital literacy into science teaching and the forms of support they considered necessary for strengthening practice. Guided by an interpretivist qualitative case-study design, nine science teachers from three educational circuits in the Effutu Municipality of Ghana were purposively selected. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four interconnected barriers emerged: inadequate digital infrastructure, limited preparation for science-specific digital pedagogy, insufficient institutional and technical support, and pressures associated with instructional time and curriculum coverage. Teachers identified continuous science-specific professional development, improved infrastructure and curriculum-aligned digital resources, stronger instructional leadership and technical assistance, and collaborative professional learning as essential supports. The findings distinguish teachers’ access to digital devices from learners’ opportunities for meaningful digital participation and show that technological competence alone does not ensure learner-centred digital science inquiry. The study contributes to understanding digital literacy integration as a multilevel support ecology requiring coordinated interventions across teacher, classroom, school, and municipal levels. These findings have implications for professional development, resource provision, and implementation of digital education policies in resource-constrained contexts.
S. Acquah· British Journal of Contempor...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
