Higher-order thinking skills, as defined by Bloom's Taxonomy, include analysis, evaluation, and creation (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). These skills are crucial to enable students to tackle complex problems, engage in serious discussions, and apply knowledge in real-life scenarios. Most standard teaching methods, however, focus on memorization and recitation and, therefore, students do not have the chance to think critically. This article discusses effective methods that teachers can use to promote HOT in class.
Strategies for Encouraging Higher-Order Thinking
1. Inquiry-Based Learning
Inquiry-based learning encourages learners to ask questions, explore independently, and reach their own conclusions. Pedaste et al. (2015) report that this strategy aids students' problem-solving and critical thinking. Inquiry-based learning is adopted by instructors through posing open-ended questions and facilitating research student-led projects.
2. Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
PBL is about giving students authentic problems to solve which necessitate critical thinking and imaginative solutions. The work by Hmelo-Silver (2004) indicates that PBL improves students' information analysis and evaluation capability, leading to enhanced learning. PBL can be integrated in the classroom by having teachers create situations when students work together to identify solutions.
3. Metacognitive Strategies
Metacognition, or "thinking about thinking," allows students to reflect on the process of their learning. Flavell (1979) points out that learning to plan, monitor, and evaluate learning develops students' problem-solving abilities. Self-questioning, reflective journaling, and think-aloud protocols are some of the strategies by which students can learn metacognitive skills.
4. Socratic Questioning
Socratic method is composed of asking students interesting questions that entail justification and more solid reasoning. The Socratic method stimulates critical thinking by the mechanism of posing questions that necessitate clarifying, analyzing, and thinking about one's thinking, says Paul and Elder (2006).
5. Technology Integration
