Philosophy as the way forward

This qualitative case study explores how six primary science teachers in the Gombak district utilize resource-based learning (RBL) to implement higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) activities and enhance student engagement in primary science education. Teachers with a minimum of five years of teaching experience from the three different types of primary schools were selected as participants. This research investigates how these RBLs are integrated into instructional practices, teaching methods, and assessment strategies to foster HOTS thereby sustaining student engagement in primary science education. The strategies that teachers employ to create resource-rich, inquiry-driven learning environments are examined where students can actively locate, evaluate, and utilize various RBLs. These include textbooks, digital content, multimedia, and other physical materials. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis from six experienced science teachers selected via purposive sampling. All interviews were recorded, translated, and transcribed verbatim. Next, thematic analysis was applied to the transcripts for a comprehensive assessment of the gathered data. Three themes were revealed from the analysis. The findings highlight that the effective integration of RBL significantly enhances student engagement and the development of HOTS. Incorporating these into teaching practices and assessments positively impacts students’ cognitive skills, fostering a more student-centered, interactive, and cognitively enriching learning environment. These findings emphasize the transformative role of RBL in reshaping classroom dynamics and improving HOTS in primary science education.

The use of philosophy in educational programmes and practices under such names as philosophy for children, philosophy with children, or the community of philosophical enquiry, has become well established in many countries around the world. The main attraction of the educational use of philosophy seems to lie in the claim that it can help children and young people to develop skills for thinking critically, reflectively and reasonably. By locating the acquisition of such skills within communities of enquiry, the further claim is that engagement with philosophy can foster the development of moral reflection and sensitivity and of social and democratic skills more generally. Claims like these provide a set of arguments for the inclusion of philosophy in the school curriculum that goes well beyond philosophy as just another curricular subject or body of knowledge. The aim of this article is to raise some questions about the conception of education that appears to inform the discussion about the educational use of philosophy. My ambition is to suggest an additional rather than an alternative view about the educational use of philosophy in the hope that this may act as a reminder of a different way in which one can engage with philosophy in educational settings which, in turn, might also act as a reminder of how philosophy might engage with us. The philosophical distinction in which my argument is phrased is that between humanism and post-humanism and the guiding educational concept is that of exposure.

The main objective of this proposed study was to investigate and determine the strategies and challenges in teaching and learning Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in Kolehiyo Ng Subic during SY 2024-2025. This study had employed the descriptive research method with the survey questionnaire as the main tool of gathering data and information from teachers-respondents. The statistical treatment of this study utilized tools such as frequency, mean, and ANOVA. Based on the summary of the investigations, the researcher concluded that the respondent is a typical female; respondents are from mid-career professionals showed based on their age; majority were specialized in Business Education subjects and entrepreneurship; BS degree with masteral units and large proportion are positioned as part-time instructors and had been in teaching for almost a decade. The teacher respondents assessed “Very Highly Utilized” strategies in teaching and learning HOTS. While on the challenges in teaching and learning HOTS, teacher respondents assessed “Very Highly Challenging”. There is no significant difference in the utilization of strategies for teaching higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) when grouped according to age, sex, field of specialization, academic position, or highest educational attainment. More so, there were no significant differences in the perceived challenges of teaching and learning higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) when grouped according to teacher profile variables. The researcher consistently suggests a shared institutional commitment to promoting critical thinking skills through standardized pedagogical approaches; and that institutional culture and policy play a central role in fostering uniformity in instructional practices across faculty members; such uniform application underscores the effectiveness of institutional frameworks and professional development efforts in ensuring the broad adoption of HOTS-focused teaching methodologies in which implication is to significantly address the challenges in HOTS; that implementation should focus on systemic solutions rather than demographic-targeted interventions; and finally, to conduct a similar or parallel study with wider in scope so as to validate and confirm the findings obtained in the study.

Even though the implementation of higher-order thinking skills has been mandated by the Curriculum 2013, some English teachers find it complex, especially during the covid-19 outbreak. This study aims at finding out the problems faced by three English teachers in implementing higher-order thinking skills. It is framed under a case study design in which documentation and semi-structured interview were used for data collection. Data gathered from both semi-interviewed and documentation were analyzed using thematic analysis in which the data were coded into some themes. The finding reveals that teachers have some external and internal problems in the implementation of higher-order thinking skills. For the internal factors, the teachers admitted that they lacked training and exposure to the integration of higher-order thinking skills. They acknowledged that they frequently employ instructional strategies they have used successfully in the past. While for the external factors, the teachers asserted that the students lack the motivation to learn English online. The majority of students choose not to participate in learning activities. This study suggests that teachers must engage in continuing professional development (CPD), which can be accomplished in a variety of methods, in order to encourage the integration of higher-order thinking abilities in the classroom. If the government and the schools where the instructors educate support this CPD, it will be successful.

In this globalization era, everyone is required to have the skills to think critically, creatively, communicatively, and collaboratively, and to have the ability in communication and information technology. This ability is called high-level thinking skills or Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), so must be emphasized in every learning process at every level of education, especially mathematics education. However, HOTS of Indonesian students is still low (PISA, 2015). The reasons are because of the teacher's limited ability to think at HOTS and teaching materials that do not apply HOTS (Collin, 2014). Therefore, this scientific study aims to develop teacher professionalism in HOTS and develop teaching materials that do apply HOTS. Of the several alternatives in the professional teacher enforcement of the Directorate General of Primary and Secondary Education of the Ministry of National Education (2005), researchers in develop teacher professionalism in the MGMP empowerment program in the East OKU district area. While the development of teaching materials used is Realistic Mathematics Education (RME), which has been shown to increase students’ understanding of mathematics learning so as to enhance students' understanding of higher-order thinking skills. So that collaboration between the development of teacher professionalism and the development of teaching materials is expected to improve HOTS of Indonesian students.

Abstract. Higher order thinking skill (HOTS) is the demanded skill in 21st century that one needs to possess in order to be able to compete in the advanced era. The aim of this case study is to investigate the teachers’ beliefs in HOTS integration in the teaching of reading comprehension as well as how the beliefs are applied in the practices of teaching reading by doing a qualitative study in a case-study design. A semi-structured interview and classroom observations were used to obtain the data. The results indicated that the teachers shared strong beliefs about the concept of HOTS and its components. The concept includes how they defined HOTS. In addition, the components revealed how they comprehend analyzing (C4), evaluating (C5), and creating (C6). Practically, the teachers' beliefs were not fully reflected, particularly in the question and assignment they assigned to students that indicated LOTS. This ivestigation suggests that more teachers’ professional development is required to promote the success of HOTS incorporation into teaching reading comprehension, mainly during online learning due to pandemic.Keywords: Higher Order Thinking Skill, HOTS, Reading Comprehension, Teachers’ Beliefs, integration

Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 aspires to develop Malaysian students who are able to master higher order thinking skills (HOTS) including critical thinking, reasoning, creative thinking, and innovation. The achievement in this area is discouraging, that is, research findings indicated that majority of students were not able to transfer the knowledge they have learnt in the classroom using HOTS to the context outside of the classroom. Studies revealed that teacher was one of the main factors that influenced success or failure in teaching for HOTS. However, the literature on various aspects of teacher factor is still wanting especially in Malaysia. Further, Malaysia had implemented training programs to equip teachers with knowledge and skills to teach for HOTS. Nevertheless, aspects of teachers‟ knowledge of HOTS and competencies in and teaching for HOTS were not explored extensively throughout Malaysia. What is more to explore the challenges faced by teachers in executing HOTS curriculum. Thus, this study was conducted to explore the challenges faced by teachers in teaching and learning for HOTS in the classrooms. It employed qualitative research method to collect and analyze data from interviews conducted with nine teachers who taught Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language), Mathematics, and Science at one of the showcase‟s school of i-THINK program in Terengganu, Malaysia. The transcripts from interview were analyzed thematically to discover the emerging themes. The findings indicated that teachers faced several challenges in teaching and learning for HOTS. The challenges were in the aspects of teachers, teaching and learning preparations and processes, and in the aspects of pupils.

Despite increasing emphasis on Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in mathematics curricula, classroom implementation remains limited and inconsistent. This qualitative study explored HOTS implementation in mathematics education, aimed to (1) identify effective instructional strategies for fostering HOTS, (2) examine teacher’ challenges, and (3) analyze classroom practices. The study involved 25 stratified junior high school mathematics teachers, with data collected over one academic year through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework.. The study highlights that an integrated instructional framework combining inquiry-based learning, collaborative practices, progressive learning support tailored to student needs, and technology significantly enhances higher-order thinking in mathematics. It demonstrates that aligning teacher beliefs, professional development, and systemic curricular support not only validates but also strengthens effective pedagogy for meeting the contemporary demands of critical thinking and problem-solving. Implementation is hindered by misalignment between curriculum goals and classroom realities, assessment practices, and theoretical professional development. Mathematics classrooms are progressively shifting toward critical problem-solving approaches, with teachers integrating analysis, evaluation, and creative tasks. Students demonstrate greater engagement with authentic tasks that connect to real-world contexts. These findings support the redesign of professional development programs and curriculum planning to enhance HOTS implementation in mathematics education.

Understanding of Pre-School and Pre-Primary Curriculum Based On Learning Paradigm

The paper deals with the interaction of the philosophy of education and education as institutional systems. Hypothetically there are “gravitational”, “weak”, “electromagnetic” and “strong” interactions between the philosophy of education and educational practice. An overview of the interactions between education and the philosophy of education as the production/development of breakthrough methods of designing and creating new educational institutions and systems, new senses, knowledge and technologies is proposed to conduct similarly to 9 types of most important interactions between different populations. It is established that the protocooperation as a form of cohabitation, in which the philosophy of education and education derive some benefits from association, but their coexistence is not obligatory for their survival is dominated in interaction between the philosophy of education and education. The prospect of interaction between the philosophy of education and educational practice based on the model of mutaulism, that is, a connection favorable to the growth and survival of the philosophy of education and education, and none of these institutional systems can exist without the other, is outlined. The relation between philosophy of education and educational practice assumes various interpretations, in particular, it is necessary to distinguish “gravitational”, “weak”, “electromagnetic” and “strong” connections. If consider relation between education and philosophy of education (a production/development of breakthrough design methods and creation of new educational institutes and systems, new senses, knowledge and technologies) by analogy with an ecological theory that set 9 types of the most essential relation between different populations, then such relation between philosophy of education and education is possible to describe as protocooperation, which means that philosophy of education and education get advantages from association, but their coexistence as an institutional system is not obligatory for their institutional functioning. It harms both the philosophy of education and the development of education in general. Hence, the perspective of cooperation between philosophy of education and educational practice is seen as an example of mutualism, that is a beneficial connection to the increase and survival of the philosophy of education and education, while none of these institutional systems can exist without one another.

Interactive Instructional: Theoretical Perspective and Its Potential Support in Stimulating Students’ Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

Conducting higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) activities in an English language classroom is a complete task for teachers, especially in the outbreak. Teachers need a careful plan and effective teaching strategies to make the students engage with the HOTS activities to increase their English language skills. The present study aims to investigate best practices of higher-order thinking skills in teaching English during online learning. A qualitative approach with a case study design was employed in this study. Two teachers of senior high schools in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia volunteered to participate. Data were collected through classroom observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The classroom observation and document analysis were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings of the study reveal that both teachers constructed best practices of higher-order thinking skills in their teaching and learning process. They eliminated one of the criteria of HOTS and skipped it in some learning processes. The teachers in their classroom activities should incorporate all criteria of HOTS, i.e., analyzing (C4), evaluating (C5), and creating (C6), properly. The lesson plans did not become the guidance in fostering HOTS to their students. This study also portrays the challenges faced by the teachers in constructing HOTS-based activities during online learning.

This study explores the effectiveness of Themed English Teaching Materials, specifically integrating Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) within a TAGANA (short for Taruna Siaga Bencana, or Disaster Preparedness and Response Volunteer Team) theme to bolster junior high school students’ motivation and proficiency in English. Addressing the need for innovative educational methods in English teaching, this research fills an existing gap by developing and assessing TAGANA-themed materials that incorporate a HOTS-PBL approach. The study carefully selected 24 English teachers from Bengkulu, Indonesia, using purposive sampling to ensure diverse representation in qualifications, experience, and teaching methods. This study evaluates the materials’ content validity and instructional efficacy using the five-stage ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) model. The results show that incorporating HOTS and PBL into thematic teaching materials greatly enhances students’ English proficiency and motivation, especially with themes like TAGANA. Expert validation affirmed the strong content validity of the materials, and data from both the experimental and control groups demonstrated significant improvements in learning outcomes. The integration of HOTS and PBL into thematic teaching materials provides valuable insights into global educational practises. By fostering students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills and incorporating the theme of TAGANA, this approach offers a progressive methodology for English education. This model makes significant contributions to educational practises globally.

Artificial intelligence (AI), as a smart and connected technology, has significantly expanded the educational landscape.As more educators and learners begin to rely on GAI to assist with tasks such as instructional design and information generation, its potential to support problem-solving has gained increasing attention. However, the extent to which GAI contributes to the development of higher-order thinking skills-such as creative thinking, critical thinking, and metacognitive awareness-and how these thinking processes interact to influence problem-solving ability remains underexplored. A more comprehensive understanding of this relationship is needed to guide the effective integration of GAI in educational practice. The study encompassed 473 pre-service teachers from three distinct higher education institutions, with specialties in science, computer science, and mathematics, and included a four-week generative AI-supported instructional design training program. And a semistructured interview comprising open-ended questions was administered to 50 pre-service teachers within the experimental group to present their views on generative AI-assisted teaching. Assessments were conducted before and after this program using a higher-order thinking skills survey. The relationship between thinking and problem-solving ability development of pre-service teachers using generative artificial intelligence was analyzed with a moderated model. The study encompassed 473 pre-service teachers from three distinct higher education institutions, with specialties in science, computer science, and mathematics, and included a four-week generative AI-supported instructional design training program. And a semistructured interview comprising open-ended questions was administered to 50 pre-service teachers within the experimental group to present their views on generative AI-assisted teaching. Assessments were conducted before and after this program using a higher-order thinking skills survey. The relationship between thinking and problem-solving ability development of pre-service teachers using generative artificial intelligence was analyzed with a moderated model. This study confirms that training pre-service teachers using generative AI to foster creative thinking can elevate their critical thinking, thereby impacting their problem-solving abilities. Moreover, metacognitive thinking amplifies the impact of creative thinking on critical thinking, resulting in a moderated mediation effect.

The purpose of this research was to 1) identify teachers' perspectives on incorporating HOTS into EFL classes for primary school students and 2) discover the challenges faced by the teachers during the implementation of HOTS based learning. This study used an embedded mixed technique. The quantitative data were acquired by giving one set of closed-response questionnaire items to 39 English teachers teaching English in elementary schools in Palembang, Indonesia. Meanwhile, qualitative data were gathered through one-on-one in-depth interviews with ten English teachers who agreed to be interviewed. The descriptive statistics analysis was used to assess the students' replies to each questionnaire item. Meanwhile, thematic analysis was used to assess the qualitative data gleaned from the interviews. The statistical study revealed that first, Teachers expressed their positive experiences implementing HOTS-based learning in EFL classes for elementary school students. Second, there are five impediments that instructors encountered while applying HOTS-based learning for primary school children; 1) time limitations; 2) supplementing HOTS-based learning resources; 3) selecting an effective teaching strategy to elicit students' HOTS; 4) selecting an effective teaching technique to elicit students' HOTS; 5) Mixed ability of students and 6) Big class size Keywords: Elementary School Students; English Language Teaching (ELT); High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)