CULTIVATING STUDENTS’ HIGHER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS IN EFL CLASSES: THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER AND THE TEXTBOOK

Abstract

Incorporating higher order thinking skills (HOTS) in the process of the teaching and learning has become a demand of the 21st century as well as the latest senior high school curriculum in Indonesia. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the role of the teachers and the textbooks to promote HOTS in EFL classes. The research was a case study and took place in one of the senior high schools in East Java, Indonesia. The result of the study showed that English language teachers had an adequate understanding about HOTS. However, the teachers were too much dependent on the materials and exercises in the textbooks. In addition, the students’ low level of English language proficiency was the core challenge for them to understand explanations or exercises developed for promoting HOTS of the students. It means that teachers had a crucial role to help their students understand the materials and the exercises presented in the textbooks. To sum up, there was a symbiosis mutualism between English language teachers and the textbooks to promote students’ HOTS.