Higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) have been an integral part of the English language curriculum in the Israeli school system since 2013, when questions that needed HOTS were added to the matriculation exams in all modules. Teachers subsequently have been responsible for integrating such questions into their teaching. The study aims to investigate the cognitive levels of questions posed by 13 Arab Israeli EFL teachers while teaching reading comprehension in heterogeneous tenth-grade classrooms. It also seeks to reveal the teachers’ perceptions with respect to teaching HOTS, and the challenges they face while doing so. Data were gathered by means of a classroom observation checklist and semi-structured interviews. The results show that the teachers tended to emphasize lower-order rather than higher-order questions. The findings of the thematic analysis of interviewees’ answers indicate that while the teachers have positive perceptions about teaching HOTS, they nevertheless face significant challenges. Factors hindering HOTS implementation include the teachers, the students, the system, and certain social norms. This implies the need for training courses to develop teachers’ knowledge about HOTS and to ensure successful implementation in the English language classroom.

自 2013 年以来，高阶思维技能 (HOTS) 一直是以色列学校系统英语语言课程的一个组成部分，当时所有模块的预科考试都添加了需要 HOTS 的问题。教师随后负责将这些问题整合到他们的教学中。该研究旨在调查 13 位阿拉伯以色列 EFL 教师在多样化的十年级课堂中教授阅读理解时提出的问题的认知水平。它还试图揭示教师对教授 HOTS 的看法，以及他们在这样做时面临的挑战。通过课堂观察清单和半结构化访谈收集数据。结果表明，教师倾向于强调低级问题而不是高级别问题。对受访者回答的主题分析结果表明，虽然教师对教授 HOTS 持积极态度，但他们仍面临重大挑战。阻碍HOTS实施的因素包括教师、学生、制度和某些社会规范。这意味着需要培训课程来培养教师关于 HOTS 的知识并确保在英语课堂中成功实施。