THE CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENT'S THINKING LEVEL AND THEIR READING COMPREHENSION

Keywords: thinking level, LOTS, MOTS, HOTS, reading comprehension,
correlational study

This study aims to investigate the correlation between students' thinking
levels and their reading comprehension in the context of English language
learning at the senior high school level. The research employs a quantitative
approach using a correlational method, conducted at MA Mambaus Sholihin
Gresik. The sample consisted of 139 tenth-grade students selected through total
sampling.
The independent variable in this study is the students’ thinking level,
classified based on Bloom’s Taxonomy into three categories: Lower Order
Thinking Skills (LOTS), Middle Order Thinking Skills (MOTS), and Higher
Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). Data on thinking levels were collected through a
thinking test consisting of a set of questions designed to measure students’
abilities in analysis, evaluation, and synthesis according to the respective thinking
levels. Meanwhile,
The dependent variable is students’ reading comprehension, assessed
through a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer questions to provide a
comprehensive measurement of their reading ability. All data were analyzed using
the Pearson Product Moment correlation technique with the assistance of the latest
version of SPSS software.
The results showed a very strong and significant correlation between
students’ thinking levels and their reading comprehension (r = 0.909, p < 0.05).
These findings indicate that higher thinking levels contribute significantly to
better reading comprehension. Therefore, integrating higher-order thinking skills
into English language learning is essential for enhancing students’ reading
comprehension. This research also reinforces previous findings regarding the
importance of developing thinking skills as a foundation for improving students’
literacy competence.