Systematic Literature Review on the Elements of Metacognition-Based Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) Teaching and Learning Modules

Contemporary educational approaches which enculturate higher order thinking skills (HOTSs) through teaching and learning have become the latest trend in teaching. Knowledge clarity, understanding mastery, and teaching readiness are the catalysts for successfully implementing HOTS elements in teaching. However, even though HOTS learning is inextricably linked to metacognitive skills, teachers frequently underutilize metacognitive skills as an effective method of teaching HOTSs. Therefore, teachers face difficulties regarding their skills in integrating HOTSs into their teaching. Numerous studies on HOTS teaching and learning modules to guide teachers in applying these have been conducted; however, only a few researchers have conducted systematic literature reviews on the same subject. This article aims to produce a systematic literature review on the elements of a metacognition-based HOTSs teaching and learning module. The systematic literature review (SLR) writing process was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) framework. Using 2 databases, namely, Web of Sciences (WoS) and Scopus, 15 articles were extracted out of 252, from 2017 to 2021, with exclusion and inclusion criteria taken into consideration. Based on the study’s thematic analysis, 3 main themes were identified: (1) HOTS, (2) metacognitive, and (3) inquiry. This study suggests that these three elements should be included in the contribution element of metacognition-based HOTSs teaching modules in school. This study contributes knowledge and guidelines to the construction of metacognition-based HOTSs teaching modules in schools, teachers’ preparedness to plan, monitor, and evaluate students’ higher order thinking skills, and opportunities for students to learn through HOTSs learning elements, as suggested in metacognition-based HOTS teaching modules.