Evaluating the Higher Order Thinking Skills in Reading Exercises of English for Palestine Grade Eight
Abstract
This study aimed at evaluating the availability of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) in the reading exercises of English for Palestine Grade 8 to find out to what extent the reading exercises in the SB and WB match the suggested criteria. To achieve the aim of the study, the researchers adopted the descriptive analytical approach. Consequently, she used two tools to collect the needed data which are: a content analysis card and a structured interview. Specifically, to formulate the content analysis card, the researchers built the suggested criteria benefiting from the previous studies, related literature, and institutions' publication. Concerning the validity of the used tool, the analysis card was shown to a number of experts to benefit from their valuable comments and modification. In the light of their comments, the final shape of the analysis card was constructed. Â Â After that, the researchers interviewed 16 8th grade English language teachers to find out their views regarding the availability of HOTS in the reading exercises in order to validate or refute the findings she got from the analysis card. The following findings were drawn out from the analysis of the book: Only fifteen out of the 26 items i.e., % 58 which are considered the criteria to evaluate the reading comprehension exercises in the target book 'English for Palestine Grade eight ' are available. Whereas the other eleven items i.e., % 42 are completely neglected. The skills available are not well-distributed in the SB neither in the WB. Thus, the distribution of the available HOTS categories is the following:
- Concerning the analysis skill, it got % 51.92. The SB has % 58.44, whereas the WB has % 33.33.
- Regarding the synthesis skill, it got % 41.35. The SB has % 32.47 while the WB has % 66.67.
- The evaluation skill, on the other hand, got the least score among the other two skills. It got the percentage of % 6.73 in only the reading exercises of the SB, with noting that the exercises of the WB have no share of this skill.
In regard to the interview, there was almost agreement among the 8th grade English language teachers that there is a shortage in the HOTS in the reading exercises and they are not well-treated. In the light of these data, the researchers recommend  modifying the reading exercises by providing them with more enrichment material that include HOTS. English language supervisors are also recommended to hold more workshops to train English language teachers how to enhance such skills in students' mentalities
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