ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to investigate the issues related to the level of knowledge acquisition in Higher-level Thinking Skills (HOTS) among the Malay language teachers in Malaysian national primary schools. In this study, we applied quantitative approach using Bloom’s taxonomy (1956, 2001) and intellectual enhancement and upbringing model (Philips, 1996). A total of 60 teachers from one district in the Negeri Sembilan were selected for the HOTS test. In addition, we also explored significant differences between the level of knowledge acquisition in HOTS questioning with teachers’ social background. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. The findings showed that the level of knowledge acquisition of HOTS questioning in the Malay language was at a moderate level. The Mann-Whitney and Kruskal- Wallis tests showed no significant differences between the level of knowledge acquisition in HOTS questioning based on teachers’ specialization, attendance to relevant courses, and teaching experiences. In other words, the social background of teachers did not determine the level of knowledge acquisition in HOTS questioning technique among the Malay language teachers in national primary schools. Therefore, Ministry of Education should plan effective HOTS courses in order to ensure success in the implementation of HOTS questioning technique in all schools.
