<![CDATA[This study aimed to describe the implementation of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)-based learning evaluation in developing elementary school students’ critical thinking skills. This research employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive research design and was conducted at UPT SPF SDN Mongonsidi 3 Makassar. The research informant was a classroom teacher as the main source of data. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation, while data analysis was carried out using the Miles and Huberman interactive model, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that the teacher had implemented HOTS-based evaluation through the use of narrative questions, case studies, and problem-solving tasks that required students to analyze, reason, and make decisions. HOTS questions were integrated into each evaluation activity and adjusted to students’ abilities. Students’ responses indicated that some students were able to answer the questions appropriately; however, most students still experienced difficulties in understanding the meaning of the questions and expressing their ideas in written form. The challenges faced by the teacher included students’ limited ability to comprehend higher-order thinking questions and the need for deeper competence in designing HOTS-based evaluation instruments. To address these challenges, the teacher provided stimuli, guidance, and additional explanations to help students understand the context of the questions without directly giving the answers. It can be concluded that HOTS-based learning evaluation contributes to the development of elementary school students’ critical thinking skills, although its implementation still requires continuous practice for students and enhanced teacher competence to achieve optimal results.]]>
