Driven by the rapid development and application of artificial intelligence technologies, the development of higher-order thinking skills has become a central metric in evaluating educational quality.As a fundamental discipline investigating the laws and nature of thermal phenomena, Thermal Physics demonstrates unique value in cultivating students’ higher-order thinking skills.This paper systematically elucidates innovative approaches and practical outcomes in Thermal Physics curriculum reform: Guided by higher-order thinking skills development objectives, we established a teaching framework integrating “cognitive progression, context-based learning, and multi-dimensional assessment”.Post-reform data reveals significant improvements in students’ assignment achievement rate, learning engagement, course satisfaction, as well as analytical and synthetic skills, demonstrating the reform’s progressive effectiveness in advancing higher-order thinking development.