| Critical thinking is the activity that learners analyze, assess, and reflect on what they have learned/contact, thus they can recognize the authenticity of it, and make rational judgments on it, consequently direct their thought and action. Researches on critical thinking started in 1920s, which was called reflective thinking by Dewey. Although formal researches on critical thinking have been just went through about 100 years, this thinking pattern has been long penetrated into the daily life, study, and research field home and abroad. Anyhow, comparing with western countries, China has been taken a different attitude toward critical thinking. In China, people's thought had been confined and unified since feudal society, and that exerted huge negative influence on the development of society and thought, and the prosperity of academy research. The present study tried to explore the problems in the cultivation of critical thinking in China and the obstacles in the development of critical thinking in primary education, and explain the necessity and feasibility of critical thinking development for pupils. Finally, the present study pointed out that we should change the present teaching methods, and establish new methods for the cultivation of critical thinking in primary school students.The thesis is structured as follows.Part one: introduction. It introduces the origin, significance, research problem, and research method of this study as well as literature review home and abroad. Part two: the representation of critical thinking. It pointed out the misunderstandings of "criticization" in China, and that the process of "criticization" is the process of learning, it is also the representation of learning subjects, and the representation of the view, stand point, and recognition of the people who criticize. The formation of critical thinking can establish the sprit of communication, dialogue, and tolerance, thus enhance the development of our thought and academy research, and finally cultivate modern citizen. Furthermore, it discussed the connotation of critical thinking. And pointed out the essential part in critical thinking is "criticization". Critical thinking consists of three parts: propose questions, answer questions with inference, and research a result. Critical thinking consists of two dimensions: the spirit of critical thinking and the skill of critical thinking. In addition, it analyzed the relationship between critical thinking, creative thinking, and logic. And further pointed out that critical thinking is a reflective, initiative, and dependent thinking process; it is real and comprehensive, rational and qualified; it is not only a method, but also a skill. Finally, the present study pointed out the features of critical thinking cultivation.Part three: the necessity and feasibility of critical thinking development for pupils. This part analyzed the present situation of critical thinking in pupils, the obstacles in the cultivation of critical thinking, and its negative influence. It further proposed four ways to cultivation critical thinking: set relative courses, relate it to a concrete subject, set recessive courses, and the enhancement of teaching methods. And the best way is to integrate the first and the forth one. Then, this part discussed the meaning or significance of critical thinking cultivation in pupils.Part four: critical thinking cultivation and teaching methods transformation in primary school. This part discussed the connotation of teaching methods, analyzed the main problems in primary school teaching in China. And then it explored the rules in critical thinking cultivation for pupils. Based on these rules, new teaching methods were proposed. Great concern should be paid in the process: only the combination of teachers' teaching and students' learning can play an important role in critical thinking cultivation for pupils. Finally, this part stated problems that should be concerned in the process of critical thinking cultivation for pupils.
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