The HOTS Approach to Teaching Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics: A Study of Pedagogy in Sociocultural Education

This research was conducted to analyze the implementation and effectiveness of teaching and learning Understanding Culture, Society and Politics (UCSP) using Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) approach. Specifically, it determined the extent to which Grade 11 teachers implemented HOTS, described the perceived effectiveness of HOTS-based instructional approaches in supporting students' UCSP learning, and tested whether HOTS implementation was significantly related to perceived instructional effectiveness. This study employed quantitative descriptive-correlational research design. Data were gathered from 327 Grade 11 students and 9 UCSP teachers from four public senior high schools in Placer, Surigao del Norte, Philippines. Using researcher-developed and validated survey questionnaires, the reliability coefficient for the student questionnaire was 0.95 and the teacher questionnaire was 0.96. Mean, verbal interpretation, and correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. Results showed that teachers often implemented HOTS-based instruction, with questioning technique and classroom discourse rated highest, while scaffolding of thinking processes was rated lowest. Students rated the HOTS-based instructional approaches as effective, while teachers strongly agreed that these approaches were effective. The association between frequency of HOTS implementation and perceived instructional effectiveness, however, was not significant. The results indicate that the effectiveness of HOTS pedagogy is not only based on the frequency of using the strategies, but also on the level of task design, scaffolding, integration of assessment and feedback for the learners.

Higher-order thinking skills, UCSP, instructional effectiveness, sociocultural education

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