Critical Discourse Analysis of Higher-Order Thinking Skills Representation in Indonesian Teacher Training Modules
Keywords:
Higher Order Thinking Skills, Teacher Professional Education, Critical Discourse Analysis, Teacher Professional Identity, Educational IdeologyAbstract
The development of Higher Order Thinking Skills is essential for fostering critical thinking and problem-solving abilities among teachers and pre-service teachers in Indonesia’s Teacher Professional Education Program. This study explores how HOTS are represented in three core modules of PPG: Principles of Teaching and Assessment, Curriculum Design and Development, and Computational Thinking. This study employs Fairclough’s model of Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse fifteen purposively selected instructional texts from the PPG modules. The analysis was conducted across three dimensions: textual, discursive practice, and social practice. The results indicate a complex tension in HOTS representation. Textually, HOTS are explicitly promoted through imperative structures (e.g., "analyse," "evaluate") that encourage cognitive engagement. However, the analysis of discursive practice reveals a 'technocratic reduction,' where complex cognitive theories are simplified into procedural administrative tasks. Furthermore, regarding social practice, the modules construct a form of 'controlled professionalism.' While teachers are framed as active agents, their autonomy is constrained by rigid, monologic instructions that lack the dialogic space found in international benchmarks. Unlike global trends that emphasize sustained reflection and formative flexibility, the Indonesian modules prioritize standardized compliance. This study suggests that for PPG to be truly transformative, the curriculum must move beyond technical imperatives to embrace critical pedagogy and genuine professional autonomy.
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