Abstract:
Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) have become a crucial
focus in EFL classrooms, especially in reading comprehension,
as they support learners in developing critical, analytical, and
reflective skills. This study aimed to explore students’
perceptions of HOTS implementation in reading activities and
assess their HOTS-based reading comprehension abilities. This
qualitative descriptive involved one EFL class at Riau Kepulauan
University who had completed the Extensive Reading course.
Data collection employed a questionnaire assessing four HOTS
indicators, such as creative thinking, critical thinking, problem
solving, and decision making, and a reading comprehension
test focusing on three HOTS components, consist of critical
thinking, transfer, and problem solving. The results showed that
most students had positive perceptions, with dominant
responses falling into "Agree" and "Neutral" categories across
all indicators. In the reading test, the majority of students
demonstrated strong performance, 65–88% showed high-level
critical thinking, 81–85% performed well in transfer tasks, and
73–77% successfully solved problems by designing logical
endings and action plans. These findings suggest that
integrating HOTS into reading instruction fosters cognitive
growth and engagement. It is therefore recommended that
educators incorporate HOTS-based strategies more
systematically, providing structured activities and continuous
support to enhance students’ higher-order thinking in EFL
reading contexts.
