Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
MIMAROPA REGION
Schools Division of Calapan City
Oriental Mindoro National High School
DIVISION OF CALAPAN CITY

REFLECTION

LAC Session on Developing Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

among Learners
May 31, 2023

As a brief overview about Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), many

educators asserted that it was impossible to teach thinking skills as a stand-alone
element. They argued that students needed some kind of domain knowledge to
start their thinking process. There is a need to infuse teaching thinking into
standard content area instruction and it has been recognized as the vehicle for
inspiring our students to think. In other words, teachers are required to blend
instruction in specific thinking skills into their content instruction. They need to
teach students to think deeply about content.
Therefore, schools and teachers are increasingly challenged with the task of
ensuring that our students maximize their opportunities to manage and make
sense of large and shifting bases of information, as well as adapt to changing work
environments, work collaboratively and effectively in teams, and live harmoniously
with others who come from different and diversified backgrounds.
It was given emphasis that the more students believe that their teachers are
emphasizing thinking and learning strategies: the higher their learning motivation;
the greater their involvement in productive cognitive strategies; the firmer their
focus on task goals; and the better their control over their own learning.
In order for the teachers to achieve a thinking classroom atmosphere, four
elements of a thinking classroom were suggested such as the teaching for thinking,
teaching of thinking, teaching with thinking, and the teaching about thinking. This
allows the teachers become creative and flexible, besides providing a structure and
focus for pedagogical improvement.
One of the elements I planned to focus on is the teaching of thinking. This
refers to the direct instruction of the thinking process. One strategy under this
element is the metacognitive skills which students develop their ability to know
what they know and what they do not know. I aim to allow my learners to use self-
questioning to examine if they have achieved the cognitive goal of understanding
the lesson topic.

ANNALIZA F. FIECAS
Teacher III

Bacungan Elementary School, 5208

Bacungan, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro
Cellphone No.: 09122244318 / Email Address: cecilia.valdez009@deped.gov.ph
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