A Critical Analysis of Bloom’s Taxonomy in Teaching Creative and Critical Thinking Skills in Malaysia through English Literature

Purpose- The study aims to (1) review the literature that analyses the relevance of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the teaching of creative and critical thinking among students in Malaysia, and (2) identify missing aspects in Bloom’s Taxonomy vis a vis the indigenous context, important to promote creative and critical thinking among students in Malaysia.Method- Multiple sources of information which (1) documents the objectives of English Literature curriculum in Malaysia, (2) outlines the nature of Bloom’s Taxonomy, (3) reports past research which addresses issues in the application of Bloom’s Taxonomy, and (4) reports research findings on the issues in teaching English Literature as a subject.Findings- The literature subject is an essential avenue for students’ learning, especially in developing creative and critical thinking. The English syllabus with augmented taxonomy should be based on holistic learning outcomes which contain three set of abilities- Rationale Thinking, Purposeful Thinking, and Effective Relation with Contexts.Significance- The study would shed light on the effectiveness of teaching creative and critical thinking through English Literature. The findings may help curriculum developers and teachers to explore the missing aspects in the Bloom’s Taxonomy vis a vis the indigenous context, hence lead to the development of informed way forward in designing effective pedagogical approach/es that nurture creative and critical thinking among students.