The United States has attached importance to the cultivation of critical thinking ability since kindergarten. This is manifested in two aspects: first, classroom expression and debate. Since kindergarten, teachers have given children many opportunities to express their views on a certain issue, express their views, talk about their own experiences, or argue with others. On the other hand, it is the most basic training of scientific methods. Most campuses require all students to master the essence of scientific methods in the fourth and fifth grades of primary schools, which not only lays a good foundation for students' future study and research, but also prepares them for their future study of critical methodology as citizens and voters. We should not underestimate the importance of scientific method training, because even now, I often meet domestic doctoral students, even so-called scientists. From the way they do research, think about problems and write papers, it is difficult to see that they really understand the essence and basic practices of scientific methods.
What does this mean? When my daughter is in the fourth grade, the teacher will spend a year talking about what is a scientific method, specifically about the process of scientific speculation, proof or falsification. They learned that the first step of scientific method is to ask questions and assumptions, the second step is to find data according to the questions raised, the third step is to analyze and test the authenticity of assumptions, and the fourth step is to explain according to the results of analysis and test. If the conclusion is to falsify the original hypothesis, why is it wrong? If the original hypothesis is verified, why? Step five, write a report or article. This process is very abstract, but the teacher will spend a year giving examples and let the students do the experiments themselves.
This kind of hands-on is not for exams, but for the best study, so that people can learn to think, cultivate their minds and avoid being fooled by others. This kind of hands-on training is multifaceted, especially thinking by yourself and finding problems by yourself, which is very excellent. In fact, if judged according to the scientific method standard of my daughters' fourth grade primary school studies, many papers published in social science journals such as domestic economics will fail, because many papers only stay at the level of hypothesis, and then take the hypothesis that has not been tested by empirical data as the truth conclusion. All these are related to our failure to strengthen the education and training of scientific methods from kindergarten and primary school, and to our habit of not applying scientific methods to the hypothesis of life phenomena.
There is no exam in primary school. What do students do? Daughters have to do several so-called "projects" in each class every semester. These projects usually include several aspects. One is to choose a subject or topic that you want to study and understand according to your own interests. The second is to find information, collect data and conduct research. The third is to sort out information and write homework reports. The fourth is to explain to the whole class for 5 to 15 minutes. This kind of project training started almost from the nursery. I think this is very interesting. As I said just now, brand has a great relationship with marketing, because both brand and marketing are related to display skills.
As for research projects, my eldest daughter was interested in Beijing's climate when she was in the fifth grade. She did a research on it in the social studies class, collected the historical data of monthly rainfall and temperature in Beijing during one year 12 months, and then calculated the highest, lowest and average monthly rainfall in history, and then calculated the highest, lowest and average monthly temperature, and then analyzed the relationship between these and other astronomical and geographical conditions in Beijing. I think this kind of course project research and explanation is very good training. In fact, her research and writing in primary school are similar to my nature as a professor. I do research online to find information, and she also does research on every subject online. She has also received a lot of training in writing articles. This is why American education is so strong. Seeing that a child is so mature in research and thinking, I have told my daughter that she will be my research assistant soon. In China, some smart people, even doctoral students, may not have these research qualities and abilities, and some graduate students may not be qualified to be research assistants.
Only with thinking ability can there be economic transformation.
It is precisely because of this cultivation of critical thinking ability that when I discuss problems with my daughters now, they will naturally doubt and examine what they hear, and then see if they can find evidence to prove that this statement is untenable in logic or in fact and statistics. This habit seems simple, but it is a very important and natural beginning to cultivate independent thinking ability, so that after graduation, especially after graduation from college, students are not just machines that simply listen to the leadership. Of course, it is natural for people trained by the American education system to guess. Sometimes I think American society is really interesting. Whether he is smart or stupid, whether he is capable or not, everyone thinks he is very powerful. Everyone thinks he is a character and has a high opinion of everything.
Because of this, if you choose 80 people out of 0/00 people in the United States/KLOC, those 80 people can express their thoughts, ideas and things they want to sell clearly and give you enough persuasion. This is also the reason why the subject of marketing appeared, occurred and developed in the United States. The American education system provides so many opportunities for everyone to express themselves. When they grow up, especially when they finish their MBA and introduce their products and their own research and ideas, at least they won't tremble and be speechless in front of a group of people. When China's economy and society are transforming to this point, especially when there are many aspirations and longings in industrial structure, brand building and innovative country, it is particularly important to realize this educational transformation.
The economic transformation of China needs the transformation of education, and it needs to cultivate ordinary citizens and speculative citizens with rich interests, complete personality and sound mind. If we can't do this, I'm afraid China can only continue to be a factory that provides low-level labor for the world.