ANALYSIS OF HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS (HOTS) AND CHARACTER EDUCATION VALUES IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS FOR GRADE X SEMESTER 1 IN CURRICULUM 2013 AND MERDEKA CURRICULUMm

Abstract

This study analyzes the integration of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and character education values in English textbooks for Grade X Semester 1 within Curriculum 2013 and the Merdeka Curriculum. Employing qualitative content analysis, this research utilized a checklist instrument based on the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (analyzing, evaluating, creating) and character education indicators (religiosity, nationalism, independence, integrity, cooperation). Data were collected from two textbooks officially issued by the Ministry of Education. The results indicate that the Merdeka Curriculum textbook incorporates a higher proportion of HOTS-based activities (45%) compared to Curriculum 2013 (32%), which remains dominated by LOTS. Regarding character education, both textbooks represent core values, yet the Merdeka Curriculum provides explicit alignment with the Profil Pelajar Pancasila. Findings suggest that the Merdeka Curriculum textbook is more effective in supporting 21st-century skills, although improvements in contextual task design are still needed.