Acquisition of Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Secondary Education: A Case Study in a Macau Secondary ESL Context

This study examined the acquisition of higher-order thinking skills in an
English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom at a secondary school in Macau. It

included an investigation of the way teaching might affect the development of higher-
order thinking skills and language proficiency. This study also included an

examination of the degree to which existing societal practices or values might have
influenced the acquisition of higher-order thinking skills. Research instruments such
as a questionnaire, a twelve-week experiment, pre-and post-tests and interview
sessions were used for the data collection. The findings suggested that after twelve
weeks the experimental groups developed higher synthetical and evaluative skills than
the control groups which instead demonstrated better language skills. The results also
identified incongruencies between the curriculum and the expectations of the parents
and employers.