Hots Questions and Narrative Writing Ability of Lower Primary Pupils in a Vernacular School

Narrative writing is a skill given emphasis by the Ministry of Education (MoE) through the specific Content Standards (CS) and Learning Standards (LS) stipulated in the Curriculum Standard and Assessment Document (DSKP) and aligned to the Common European Framework of References (CEFR) scales. However, lower primary pupils; particularly in urban areas still struggle to produce narrative writings that show quality. This paper presents and discusses an Exploratory Case Study on the use of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions to improve pupils’ narrative writing skills. The study involved 6 purposively chosen lower primary pupils in a vernacular school in Sarawak. Data were collected through classroom interactions, WhatsApp interviews and document analysis. This was to ensure the validity and reliability of the data. Findings of the students’ interview responses indicated that they felt the HOTS questions helped improve their narrative writing as evident in the analysis of their writing tests. Discussions on the findings imply pedagogical, theoretical and policy implications relevant to the Malaysian education and students aspirations outlined in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025. Meanwhile, areas for further research can focus on the effectiveness of HOTS on improving other language skills and competency.