High-Order Thinking Skill (HOTS) of the Students in Aspect of Understanding Modern Poetry and Prose of Malay Language

High-Order Thinking Skill (HOTS) of the Students in Aspect of Understanding Modern Poetry and Prose of Malay Language

Abdul Rasid Jamian, Wan Nazira Wan Jaafar, Shamsudin Othman, Azhar Md. Sabil
Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate high order thinking skill (HOTS) proficiency of students in the understanding of poetry and prose of modern Malay. The samples were carried out in this study were 210 students using quantitative methods as the study design. The findings showed that HOTS for understanding poetry is moderate (mean=2.35, SD=1:07), while the understanding of modern prose is at a high level (mean=2.67, SD=0.98). There are no significant differences between gender in the understanding of modern poetry, but there are significant differences between female students (mean=2.83, SD=0.91) and boys (mean=2.47, SD=1.03) in the understanding of modern prose. Significant differences between the level of HOTS in terms of understanding the poem (mean=3.38, SD=0.64), prose (mean=3.13, SD=0.54) as well as modern poetry and prose (mean=3.25, SD=0.49) among students of high level, medium and low can also be seen. In conclusion, the HOTS should be mastered by students not only academically but also non-academically and the practice of applying HOTS in them through appropriate teaching methods can improve their performance in their studies.
Keywords: Higher Level Thinking Skills; Poetry Understanding; Modern Prose; Literature Component in Malay Language; Students

Introduction
The National Education Philosophy (NEP) aims to produce balanced and harmonious human being from all aspects of life including physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social (JERIS). Similarly, the teaching of Bahasa Melayu that should be according to the FPK. This means that nowadays education is producing highly educated and competent citizens. In line with the Ministry of Education (MOE) policy through the Malaysian Education Development Plan (PPPM) in 2013-2025 has highlighted the High-order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in which the content is applied into all primary school subjects as well as high school.
The Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) has reviewed and examined in detail that the Lower Secondary Assessment (PMR) has been replaced by the Form Three Assessment (PT3) in 2014. The KBAT question in 2014 became a pioneer for Grade 4 pupils and Form 2 students. As been announced in 2016, 40% of the questions that will be asked are related to HOTS. It means that the focus of the questions in this assessment is more on high-level thinking. The previous PMR question requires students to answer in the form of multiple choices, but as PT3 which began last year, students are required to think before answering and questions are more subjective as they need to write and build correct sentences to get excellence score.
According to the Malaysian Examinations Board (LPM) (2013), states that the ratio of questions will be increased to test HOTS in School-Based Assessment (PBS) and public examinations systematically over the next three years. The HOTS questions are based on the revision of Bloom taxonomy that test the skills of applying, analyzing, evaluating, and generating ideas. This assessment will also be enhanced further by inculcating creative skills and problem solving. HOTS items involve broader scopes, diverse methods and stimuli as well as challenging but can be assessed because the basic knowledge either learned, through experience, reading or else is used as an essential requirement to stimulate students’ higher-order thinking.
Higher-order thinking skills are now taken place in the education realm as it has been employed into the Malaysia Education Development Plan (PPPM). According to PPPM, there are 6 main features that every student needs to be able to compete globally which are: knowledge; national identity; leadership skil

In-Text Citation: (Jamian, Jaafar, Othman, & Sabil, 2018)
To Cite this Article: Jamian, A. R., Jaafar, W. N. W., Othman, S., & Sabil, A. M. (2018). High-Order Thinking Skill (HOTS) of the Students in Aspect of Understanding Modern Poetry and Prose of Malay Language. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(12), 1043–1058.

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