Enhancing Higher Order Thinking Skills (Hots) Through Literature Components in ESL Classrooms

Abstract

In preparing students for 21 st century, the importance of teaching higher order thinking skills is questionable. Yet, many educators and employers express their concern that young Malaysians especially fresh graduates are unable to think critically and creatively. Therefore, this paper presents a review of extant literature on studies related to HOTS through literature in ESL Classrooms. Many tools have been used for language teaching to teach the language more efficiently over the course of time. Nevertheless, it is widely accepted that literature has proven to be one of the best and most beneficial teaching resources. Literature is currently being taught by adhering to the syllabus merely for examination purposes, instead of teaching to cultivate understanding and appreciation. Change needs to be taken place thereby immediately. The instillation of HOTS through literature is seen as a great benefit. English Literature is now collocated in the preliminary National Education Blueprint (2013Blueprint ( -2015 as a method to help improve English proficiency of students. In accordance with the transformation of education in Malaysia, this paper explains the various types of literature that exist in the current curriculum and how it can be integrated in English lessons to instil Higher Order Thinking Skills. This paper suggests that English literature should be reconceptualised given its ability to help educate and train young Malaysians to think critically based on the Taxonomy Bloom (Revised Anderson) as it caters for both advanced and beginner level learners. Literature should therefore be used as a bridge for educating young Malaysians to be innovative and to think critically.

Development and validation of Mathematical Higher‐Order Thinking Scale for high school students

“…The first perspective was the “higher‐order skills theory,” wherein research assert that HOTS was a distinct higher‐order skills separate from lower‐order abilities. Representative figures who held this view include Bloom, Tsaparlis (2020), Zohar and Dori (2003), Gopalan and Hashim (2021), and so on. Bloom proposed five different types of thinking patterns, namely comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, among which comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation are considered part of HOTS (Churches, 2008).…”

“…Tsaparlis (2020) stated that lower‐order thinking involved recalling information or applying existing knowledge to familiar situations, whereas HOTS encompassed solving unfamiliar problems, necessitating not just knowledge and application but also the skills to analyze, synthesize, and solve problems. Gopalan and Hashim (2021) agreed that MHOTS was a higher‐order competency possessed only by individual students who excel in mathematical thinking performance.…”

Effectiveness of a Proposed Program Integrating MALL & Reciprocal Listening to Podcasts in Fostering EFL Faculty of Biotechnology Students’ HOTS, Vocabulary Acquisition and Speaking Fluency

“…As for Ghanizadeh, Al-Hoorie and Jahedizadeh (2020), they propose the use of graphic organizers, critical discourse analysis, reflective journals and argumentation to develop HOTS in EFL classrooms. Moreover, Gopalan and Hashim (2021) recommend using ISSN 1110-2721 literature classes to foster EFL learners' HOTS as literature enables these learners to analyze characters, themes and events; moreover, literature enables EFL learners to make judgments and create new ideas. Additionally, based on their studies findings, Akatsuka (2019) and Pasutri (2021) recommend that EFL teachers should use deep level questions that require students to utilize their cognitive abilities in order to promote their HOTS.…”

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“…Higher order thinking (HOT) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are the two most important elements grounded in today's globalized and sophisticated educational system. Higher order thinking ability is highly encouraged by educators for their students to challenge them to achieve critical values, the sense of creativity and find new ways of solving challenges as well as making adequate decisions [17]. Students with higher order thinking skills (HOTS) are expected to experience excellence academic performance and apply the cognitive knowledge in real-life situation to obtain better quality of life [3,27].…”