Evaluating the higher order thinking skills in reading exercises of English for Palestine grade 8

Other Title(s)

تقويم مهارات التفكير العليا في تمارين القراءة في كتاب الصف الثامن مبحث اللغة الإنجليزية

Dissertant

Sayf, Ayat Abd al-Qadir Ahmad

Thesis advisor

Qishtah, Awad Sulayman

University

Islamic University

Faculty

Faculty of Education

Department

Department of Curriculum and Teaching Methods

University Country

Palestine (Gaza Strip)

Degree

Master

Degree Date

2012

English 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 researcher 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 researcher 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.

Additionally, to ensure the reliability of the study, the researcher asked for the cooperation of another researcher to analyze the book along with her.

After that, the researcher interviewed 168th 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 8' 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 exercise 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 researcher recommends modifying the reading exercises by providing them with more enrichment material that includes HOTS.

English language supervisors are also recommended to hold more workshops to train English language teachers how to enhance such skills in students' mentalities.

Main Subjects

Educational Sciences

Topics

• Education
• Learning
• Second language learning
• Palestine
• English language

No. of Pages

156

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-318932