How do teachers implement higher order thinking in the classroom

This phenomenological research reports on how teachers implemented higher order thinking in the classroom. Higher order thinking is a construct well established in research literature and the Australian curriculum as being integral to raising student academic performance. This study is significant for several reasons: it has developed a coding frame for both measurement and implementation of higher order thinking in the classroom; few studies have investigated teachers teaching thinking (Zohar & Schwartzer, 2007); it is unique in an Australian context and it presents a framework for pedagogy of higher order thinking that will empower teachers and potentially raise the performance of students in the classroom. Nine secondary teachers participated in an individual interview. Member checking attested to the reliability of the transcripts and inter-rater reliability established a high level of consensus in data analysis. The teachers were asked to describe their experience of higher order thinking and metacognition in their classes.  The research question initiated the study's research design. Data was best achieved by interview and the findings categorised according to Seidman's (2006) phenomenological approach to thematic analysis. The analysis revealed an ‘informal' level of implementation characterised by a lack of understanding of the conceptual tools and strategies to effectively implement higher order thinking. This is shown to reduce the impact of the thinking curriculum on student performance (Schraw & Moshman, 1995; Wilson & Bai, 2010). The study provides similar schools, professional development facilitators and future research a point from which to embark to establish effective implementation of higher order thinking in the ecology of the classroom environment.


Schraw, G., & Moshman, D. (1995). Metacognitive Theories. Education Psychology Review, 7(4), 351-371.
Seidman, I. (2006). Interviewing as Qualitative Research (3rd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.
Wilson, N. S., & Bai, H. (2010). The relationships and impact of teachers' metacognitive knowledge and pedagogical understandings of metacognition. Metacognition and Learning, 5(3), 269-288.
Zohar, A., & Schwartzer, N. (2007). Assessing Teachers' Pedagogical Knowledge in the Context of Teaching Higher-order Thinking. International Journal of Science Education, 27(13), 1595-1620.