KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION IN TEACHING PRACTICES OF MALAY LANGUAGE IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Knowledge application and problem-solving skills are two important aspects that should be possessed by every student in the 21st century. This study examines students’ application of higher-order thinking skills in Malay language classes. This study focuses on students’ knowledge application and problem-solving skills in learning the literature component Malay (KOMSAS). This study involved four Form Four students who were purposively selected from a private secondary school. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and document analysis. Data were analysed descriptively and presented narratively. The findings showed that knowledge application in (1) reading poems and writing on the whiteboard and (2) giving meaning to verses from the poems read, and students’ problem-solving skills in (a) finding language style, (b) identifying the situation, and (c) solving the problem in learning KOMSAS can be improved by applying higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) in the classroom. The application of HOTS in learning is in-line with the national curriculum’s aspiration to develop quality students for the country in the future. Teachers can design many interesting and fun HOTS activities and encourage students to be actively involved in them. This study implies that students who are taught using HOTS showed a higher level of thinking. Thus, future studies should consider examining HOTS elements further in the teaching of other languages and subjects.