Exploring teachers' experiences on integration of higher order thinking skills (hots) in teaching of science

In today's era of rapid information, thinking skills is seen as a very important component skills to face global competition in the world. In recent years, the application and construction of higher order thinking skills are very highly valued in teaching and learning. To develop higher order thinking skills, the Malaysian Ministry of Education has put in a lot of effort to help schools impart thinking skills to students, and to enable them to be lifelong learners. The purpose of this study is to explore teachers’ experiences on integration of higher order thinking skills (HOTs) in teaching of science. In addition, this study also aims to investigate the problems and solution on integration of higher order thinking skills in teaching of science in school classroom. The open-ended survey questionnaires and semi-structured interview was conducted to obtain the data from the science teachers that teaching science subject for primary and secondary school level via online medium by means facebook, email and educational portal in Malaysia and face to face meeting with science teachers for the selected school in Padawan Division, Sarawak. In order to explore teachers experiences on integration of HOTs this study will investigate teachers’ perception of HOTs, teachers’ perception of the role they have to play when implementing HOTs in their lesson, teachers’ experience of students’ ability to think on higher level in learning of science, problems and solutions on integration of HOTs in teaching of science. The result of the study, found that teachers perceive they are teaching HOTs to their students but the instructional strategies in teaching have to be improve to make sure the integration is effectively delivered. The findings suggest that science teachers need professional development purposely teaches for promoting HOTs, the profesional development process should changing teachers’ belief and practices in this field. The programs must structured in such a way that teachers will have better understanding of what HOTs is and would able to conceptualize HOTs in a more coherent way.