This research is aimed to investigate (1) Teachers’ strategies for fostering HOTS in teaching reading during the pandemic and (2) Teachers’ challenges in fostering HOTS during the pandemic. This research applied a narrative inquiry as the research method. The participants are two EFL teachers from public and private junior high schools who have taught in Grades VIII and IX before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. All participants have received training on Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) from government and non-government organizations. The data for the research were collected through interviews as the main data source and artefacts as the supporting data. The researcher conducted interviews to explore teachers’ strategies and challenges in fostering HOTS during the pandemic. The findings revealed some strategies for fostering HOTS, as follows: (1) asking divergent questions to trigger students’ critical thinking, (2) giving feedback to push students to review, refine and improve understanding, (3) giving motivation to students to think critically. In contrast, because of the absence of face-to-face interaction and technical issues, conducting group discussions is particularly challenging in the online setting. Some challenges in fostering HOTS also revealed, (1) Limited time to interact with students; (2) Varying Pupil Learning Ability; (3) Pupils’ Mastery of Basic Skills; (4) Teachers’ Skills; (5) Learning Environment influenced by parental awareness. In conclusion, fostering HOTS during the pandemic can still be implemented through digital tools and platforms with limitations, weaknesses and challenges.
