Volume 12 : Issue 12.4 (2025)

Mapping the Cognitive Impact of Concept Attainment and Inquiry Training Models: A Scoping Review on Higher Order Thinking Skills in Science Education

Developing Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) among school students has become a pivotal target of science education reforms around the world in the early twenty-first century. The NEP (2020) or National Education Policy and NCERT learning outcomes, in the Indian context, lay emphasis on nurturing such analytical, evaluative, and creative capacities with which learners may face real-life problems in scientific inquiry. The two well-established instructional models are meant to promote cognitive engagement and metacognitive growth: the Concept Attainment Model (CAM) introduced by Bruner (1966) and the Inquiry Training Model (ITM) by Suchman (1962). The CAM tries to foster concept formation in a somewhat structured way through logical reasoning and categorization methods, whereas the ITM promotes inquiry, inductive logic, and hypothesis-driven learning. Both models are theoretically aligned with the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, but their practical utility and influence on HOTS seem somewhat fragmented in the existing study area. The inquiry review, henceforth, synthesizes findings from 42 empirical studies-general 25 doctoral theses produced from different parts of India and 17 other international-level peer-reviewed articles-in an attempt to analyze the different uses of CAM and ITM towards HOTS development in science education. It follows and is guided by the PRISMA-ScR method, thereby identifying and charting variables such as model type, subject area, research design, assessment instruments, and cognitive outcomes. The findings would point out that though CAM and ITM are mostly linked to gains in academic achievement, somewhat rarely are any HOTS components considered for kids, such as analyze, evaluate, and create. Most of the studies concentrated on critical thinking and problem-solving, whereas creativity and evaluative reasoning were less considered. Relatively few studies have integrated the use of CAM and ITM in one pedagogical sequence, and there is a lack of a standardized HOTS assessment tool. The review, therefore, suggests that CAM and ITM could significantly promote HOTS in science education, albeit with proper structuring, organization, and proposed assessment. Further research ought to transcend achievement-focused designs and start investing in formulating CAM and ITM-based HOTS frameworks and tools for the science classroom.

Concept Attainment Model (CAM), Inquiry Training Model (ITM), Higher Order Thinking Skills, Teaching Learning

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