Continuous Professional Development in Mathematics: Higher Order Thinking Skills

Abstract

Teaching high order thinking skills (HOTS) is currently at the centre of educational 
attention. In general, measures of high order thinking include all intellectual tasks that call for 
more than the retrieval of information. Five fundamental HOTS have been identified in 
Mathematics. They are: problem solving skills, inquiring skills, reasoning skills, communicating 
skills and conceptualizing skills. These fundamental and intertwining ways of learning 
mathematics, thinking and using mathematical knowledge are considered important in 
mathematics education. In fact, many of students‟ problems in learning mathematics originate 
from their weaknesses in one or more of these skills. Students are expected to enhance the 
development of these skills and use them to construct their mathematical knowledge, and hence 
engage in life-long learning.