Effect of Instructions in Course Book Tasks on Promoting Higher-Order Thinking Skills

Hanoof Khalid Alshaiji,Shaima J Al-Saeed

doi:10.5539/elt.v14n12p218

Abstract

As stakeholders of educational systems, teachers are urged to participate in social change through the implementation of critical thinking skills into the educational setting. English language teaching has primarily focused on critical thinking, particularly in the recent years. Therefore, teachers are required to examine their teaching materials to ensure that they meet the needs of the 21st century. This study investigates the extent of implemented higher-order thinking skills using revised Bloom&rsquo;s taxonomy. It examines tasks in course books used at the College of Technological Studies at the Public Authority of Applied Education and Training in Kuwait. The course books examined are Tech Talk at the elementary, pre-intermediate, and intermediate levels. The findings of this study prove that most of the tasks in the sample chosen encourage students&rsquo; lower cognitive skills. Therefore, syllabus and material designers and teachers should include tasks that foster higher-order cognitive skills. The results are expected to serve as reference for direct language teachers when planning lessons in their course book adaptation and with curriculum development. &nbsp;

Highlights

Critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important skills that should be acquired in 21st-century classrooms; it extends beyond EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms to influence learners in other contexts
During the process of teaching the English language in a vocational institute in Kuwait, it quickly became evident that the curricula used are lacking in higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)
The research strategy is exploratory, which aims to analyze course books used in College of Technological Studies in CTS Kuwait in terms of CT skills development using revised Bloom’s taxonomy (RBT) as a tool

Summary

Introduction

Critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important skills that should be acquired in 21st-century classrooms; it extends beyond EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms to influence learners in other contexts It has been the subject of many studies, especially in the field of EFL. CT is currently of high interest because it is an integral skill to be developed in the 21st century It is the basis for many other important roles, such as reflection, creativity, autonomy, and cultural awareness. During the process of teaching the English language in a vocational institute in Kuwait, it quickly became evident that the curricula used are lacking in higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). Students struggle when they encounter HOTS tasks and find them extremely challenging. Students reported that answering questions that require inference and comparing or expressing opinions are relatively demanding tasks

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Conclusion