Empowering Sophomores’ Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Analytical and Critical Reading Course through Utilizing KWL Plus Strategy

Jureeporn  Malelohit

Authors

Jureeporn Malelohit Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Thaksin University, Thailand

Keywords:

Analytical and Critical Reading, Higher-Order Thinking Skills, KWL Plus Strategy, Sophomores

Abstract

Developing higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) has become a crucial objective in tertiary-level English reading instruction, particularly in courses emphasizing analytical and critical reading. To achieve this goal, instructional strategies that actively engage learners and foster metacognitive awareness are essential for enhancing reading comprehension and critical thinking. This study aimed to empower sophomores’ higher-order thinking skills in an Analytical and Critical Reading course through the utilization of the KWL Plus strategy. The purposes of the study were twofold: (1) to compare sophomores’ reading comprehension achievement before and after learning through the KWL Plus strategy, and (2) to examine changes in their higher-order thinking skills before and after engaging in analytical and critical reading instruction using the KWL-plus strategy. The participants were 48 sophomore students enrolled in the Analytical and Critical Reading course during the second semester of the 2025 academic year. A one-group pretest–posttest research design was employed. The KWL Plus strategy was systematically implemented throughout the instructional period to encourage active reading, metacognitive reflection, and deeper textual analysis. Research instruments consisted of a reading comprehension test and a higher-order thinking skills assessment focusing on analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests. The results revealed statistically significant improvements in both reading comprehension and higher-order thinking skills following the implementation of the KWL Plus strategy. These findings suggest that the KWL Plus strategy is an effective instructional approach for enhancing sophomores’ analytical and critical reading abilities while promoting higher-order thinking skills at the tertiary level.

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