Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Physics: Association of a Structured Concept-Mapping Intervention and Student’s Problem-Solving Self-Report Perception

Higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) are increasingly emphasised in science education, yet physics instruction often remains dominated by formula-based problem solving and rote application, providing limited opportunities for students to analyse relationships, construct reasoning, and apply conceptual knowledge to unfamiliar problems. This study examined changes in secondary school students' physics self-report perception following the implementation of a HOTS-oriented instructional approach and explored students' perceptions of HOTS-based learning. The study involved 84 students from a secondary school in Selangor, Malaysia, selected through purposive sampling. The instructional intervention incorporated structured derivation concept maps in the teaching of Newton's law of gravitation to encourage students to connect physical concepts, mathematical relationships, and problem-solving processes. The findings showed a statistically significant increase in critical thinking performance mean scores from pre-test (M = 2.61) to post-test (M = 4.15), with p < .001. Students also reported positive perceptions of HOTS-oriented instruction (M = 4.21), particularly in supporting independent learning and conceptual understanding, while recognising the role of conventional instructional approaches (M = 3.99) in establishing foundational knowledge. These findings suggest that structured HOTS-oriented learning activities have potential to support students' transition from procedural application toward more analytical and conceptually grounded physics problem solving. The study provides preliminary evidence for integrating explicit higher-order reasoning strategies into secondary physics instruction, while highlighting the need for further controlled studies to establish their comparative effectiveness.