Higher Order and Critical Thinking Skills in Asking Verbal Questions among English as a Foreign Language Teachers: A Systematic Review

In today’s educational landscape, developing higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)—such as analysing, evaluating, and creating—has become increasingly important, especially for students preparing to navigate a complex global world. A key component of HOTS is critical thinking (CTS), which enables learners to assess ideas logically, connect concepts, and make sound decisions. In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, verbal questioning plays a vital role in encouraging students to articulate their thoughts, reason through problems, and engage in meaningful dialogue. This study presents a systematic review of over one hundred academic sources—including peer-reviewed articles, educational reports, and case studies—exploring how verbal questioning techniques contribute to the development of HOTS and CTS in EFL settings. The findings point to several effective teaching strategies, along with recurring challenges and ways to address them. The review shows that inquiry-based approaches and collaborative learning tasks can significantly enhance learners' abilities to analyse, synthesize, and evaluate information. Active classroom methods like discussions and role-playing not only help students retain content but also apply it in practical ways. However, several barriers hinder the broader adoption of these strategies, including insufficient teacher training, overemphasis on standardized testing, and limited availability of teaching tools and digital resources. To address these obstacles, the paper highlights the need for continuous professional development, curriculum reforms that integrate CTS components, and greater support in terms of instructional materials and technology access. Together, these steps can help create more engaging and intellectually stimulating environments where HOTS and CTS can thrive.