The Effectiveness of HOTS-Based Practice Questions in Enhancing Students’ Critical Thinking in Arabic Learning

Abstract

Conventional assessment instruments in Arabic learning often emphasize low-level cognitive skills, leaving a gap in measuring students' higher-order and critical thinking abilities. Addressing this issue, the present research evaluates the effectiveness of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)-based practice questions in enhancing students' critical thinking within Arabic language learning. Using a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group, two classes were involved: one receiving HOTS-based questions and the other conventional questions. Data were collected through pretests and posttests and analyzed using the Independent Sample T-Test and Cohen's d to determine the significance and effect size. Results revealed that the experimental group achieved a higher mean posttest score (82.67) compared to the control group (74.10), with a significance value of 0.000 and an effect size of 1.52, indicating a strong influence. These findings confirm that HOTS-oriented assessment can significantly improve students' analytical and evaluative thinking skills. Beyond statistical significance, this study highlights the pedagogical importance of integrating HOTS-based evaluation as a transformative strategy to foster deeper reasoning, reflective understanding, and learner autonomy in Arabic education.