Plain English Meaning

Thinking that goes beyond memorizing. The learner has to use what they know — solve a problem, judge a situation, or decide what to do — instead of just repeating an answer.

Full Definition

Higher order thinking skills (HOTS) are the upper levels of cognitive ability — application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation — in which a learner uses information rather than simply recalling it. In flight training, HOTS describe the mental work of judging situations, weighing options, and making sound decisions, as opposed to merely reciting facts or repeating procedures.

Context Anchor

Seen in flight instruction discussions about teaching methods, especially when an instructor uses questions or scenarios instead of only giving facts.

Derivation

The phrase comes from , where 'higher order' refers to the upper tiers of 's — a ranked of thinking that places recall at the and , analysis, and evaluation at the top. 'Higher order' simply means further up that ladder, where the thinking gets more demanding.