Focus on Mathematical Thinking Skills in India’s National Education Policy 2020: A Critical Policy Analysis

Abstract

The growing emphasis on competency-based education has renewed interest in developing mathematical thinking and Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) as essential outcomes of school mathematics. Although the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 advocates conceptual understanding, critical thinking, inquiry, experiential learning, and competency-based assessment, its contribution to mathematical thinking has not been systematically examined. This study presents a critical conceptual policy analysis of NEP 2020 to investigate the extent to which the policy supports mathematical thinking, promotes HOTS, and prepares teachers to foster these competencies in mathematics classrooms. Using qualitative document analysis, the policy was analysed through the Mathematical Thinking Policy Analysis Framework (MTPAF), comprising four analytical dimensions: mathematical thinking skills, HOTS, assessment, and teacher preparation. The analysis reveals that NEP 2020 provides a strong pedagogical foundation for developing mathematical thinking through its emphasis on conceptual understanding, inquiry-based learning, problem solving, competency-based assessment, and teacher development. However, these provisions remain dispersed across the policy and are not articulated within a coherent mathematics-specific framework. The study argues that HOTS function as the principal cognitive pathway through which mathematical thinking develops, while recognising that mathematical thinking extends beyond generic higher-order cognition through discipline-specific processes such as abstraction, generalisation, proof, modelling, and mathematical communication. The paper proposes policy recommendations to strengthen curriculum, assessment, and teacher preparation by explicitly recognising mathematical thinking as a central goal of school mathematics.