Abstract
This study was primarily intended to focus on and clarify the critical thinking of elementary school students in science. The secondary aim of this study was to analyze the structure of associated factors that affect the critical thinking of elementary school students and derive suggestions for devising teaching methods. A 35-item questionnaire was conducted on 429 fifth and sixth-grade elementary school students in order to achieve these objectives.
The results with respect to the primary purpose of the study clarified that children’s reflective thinking and awareness of trying to focus on the rationale was low in comparison to their explorative and rational thinking. In addition, the results with respect to the secondary purpose of the study clarified that the greater explorative and rational thinking of children, the more often they think reflectively and focus on the rationales behind opinions.
Based on these findings, it was suggested that guidance should develop children’s explorative and rational thinking in order to then enhance their reflective thinking and awareness of trying to focus on rationales.
