Analysis of Reading Exercises in EFL Textbook ‘English for Nusantara’ Using Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy

Abstract

In the context of 21st-century education, the development of higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) is crucial, particularly as Indonesia’s Emancipated Curriculum emphasizes their integration into textbooks. This study analyzed the distribution of lower-order thinking skills (LOTS) and HOTS in WH-questions from the reading exercises of the ‘English for Nusantara’ textbook for eighth-grade students based on the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Using a qualitative descriptive design employing content analysis was applied to WH-questions presented in Chapters 1 to 5 of the textbook. The analysis identified a total of 86 WH-questions, of which 72 (83.72%) were categorized as LOTS and 14 (16.28%) as HOTS. The most frequently represented cognitive dimension was remembering (C1), while applying (C3) appeared the least. These findings suggest that the textbook predominantly emphasizes LOTS, particularly factual recall and basic comprehension, rather than fostering HOTS. The study provides important implications for textbook authors, teachers, and policymakers to enhance HOTS-oriented instruction and to promote more critical and reflective English language learning.