Upholding Fundamental Principles and Breaking New Ground in Ideological-Political Courses in the New Era

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee has consistently placed the construction of ideological-political courses in schools at an important position in educational work. We uphold fundamental principles and break new ground to promote the connotative development of ideological-political course construction, continuously enhancing the pertinence and appeal of these courses. The author believes that upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground means respecting and adhering to correct directions, principles, and laws, while constantly breaking through constraints and obstacles to create new ideas, methods, and realms. Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground in ideological-political courses emphasizes that these courses must always adhere to their fundamental tasks, educational essence, and basic attributes, opening up new prospects for ideological-political education in the New Era through continuous innovation.

党的十八大以来，党中央始终坚持把学校思政课建设放在教育工作的重要位置。我们守正创新推动思政课建设内涵式发展，不断提高思政课的针对性和吸引力。笔者认为，守正创新是尊重和坚守正确的方向、原则和规律，不断突破束缚与阻碍，开创出新的思路、方法和境界。思政课的守正创新就是强调思政课要始终坚持它的根本任务、教育实质与根本属性，以不断创新开启新时代思政教育新局面。

Adhering to the fundamental task of ideological-political courses in fostering virtue and nurturing people [1]1 "Fostering virtue and nurturing people" (立德树人) is a core educational principle in China, emphasizing the cultivation of moral character and the development of talent.. Ideological-political courses are key courses for implementing the fundamental task of fostering virtue and nurturing people. Based on the needs of the Party and the state, and focusing on elements such as people's cognition, emotions, will, beliefs, and behavior, they improve students' ideological-political character and cultivate more new-era individuals who reassure the Party, love and contribute to the country, and bear the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation. Ideological-political courses strive to shape students' correct value concepts, moral concepts, and ideals and beliefs. They must advance the construction of ideological-political courses in tandem with the arming of the Party's innovative theories, guiding students to correctly view the world, the era, and society in which they live, and to distinguish truth from falsehood and firm up their direction amid various voices and viewpoints: only socialism can save China, only Chinese-path modernization can develop China, and only by adhering to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics can the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation be achieved.

坚守思政课立德树人的根本任务。思政课是落实立德树人根本任务的关键课程，立足于党和国家的需要，着眼于人的认知情感意志信念和行为等要素，提高学生的思想政治品德，培养更多让党放心、爱国奉献、担当民族复兴重任的时代新人。思政课着力于塑造学生正确的价值理念、道德观念和理想信念，要坚持思政课建设与党的创新理论武装同步推进，引导学生正确看待我们所处的世界、时代和社会，在各种声音和观点中辨清真伪、坚定方向：只有社会主义才能救中国，只有中国式现代化才能发展中国，只有坚持中国特色社会主义道路才能实现中华民族伟大复兴。

Faithfully adhering to the educational essence of ideological-political courses in reasoning. Possessing the guidance of Marxist scientific theory is our Party's distinct political character and powerful political advantage. The essence of ideological-political courses is reasoning; what they must reason well about is the reasoning concerning Marxist theory. Theory is a knowledge system concerning the essence of things and their laws. Reasoning deeply, thoroughly, and vividly requires teachers of ideological-political courses to use plain language to clearly explain the knowledge system related to Marxism, linking the abstractness of theoretical expression with various phenomena in the world and with people's daily lives, enabling students to understand the truth content of scientific theory. Teachers of ideological-political courses should use the great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics as content support, and use fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture as the foundation of strength, transmitting the ideological tendencies, value standards, and emotional attitudes contained in the reasoning to students, deeply cultivating their love and deep affection for the motherland, the people, and the socialist cause, and encouraging them to rationally plan their individual life practices, realizing their personal responsibility and contribution to the country and society.

信守思政课讲道理的教育实质。拥有马克思主义科学理论指导是我们党鲜明的政治品格和强大的政治优势。思政课的本质是讲道理，它要讲好的是关于马克思主义理论的道理。理论是关于事物的本质及其规律的知识体系，深刻、透彻、鲜活地讲道理，要求思政课教师用通俗的语言把马克思主义有关的知识体系解释清楚，把理论表达的抽象性和世界各类表象联系起来，与人们的日常生活产生关联，使学生能够理解科学理论的真理性内容。思政课教师要以中国特色社会主义取得的伟大成就作为内容支撑，要以中华优秀传统文化、革命文化和社会主义先进文化作为力量根基，将道理中蕴含着的思想倾向、价值标准和情感态度传递给学生，厚植他们内心深处对祖国人民、对社会主义事业的热爱和深情，鼓励他们合理规划个体人生实践，实现个人对国家和社会的责任担当。

Abiding by the essential attributes of ideological-political course teaching. Ideological-political courses are core courses for disseminating Marxist theory; they possess distinct political attributes. Political guidance is the basic function of ideological-political courses. This root and soul must be grasped, implementing education on core socialist values, education on serving the people and contributing to society, and achieving the unity of students' love for the Party, love for the country, and love for socialism, enhancing their faith in Marxism, their belief in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and their confidence in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The political attribute of ideological-political courses determines that teachers themselves must have firm ideals and beliefs, correct political stances, and distinct political attitudes. They must consciously consider teaching from the overall perspective of the strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, shouldering the major mission of educating people for the Party and nurturing talent for the country. The educational attribute of ideological-political courses determines that teachers must grasp the laws of education and the laws of student growth and development, following the laws of the formation and development of people's ideological and moral character and the laws of the ideological-political education process in teaching, teaching students according to their aptitude, guiding them according to circumstances, and achieving the unity of teaching and educating.

遵守思政课教学的本质属性。思政课是传播马克思主义理论的核心课程，它具有鲜明的政治属性。政治引导是思政课的基本功能，要抓住这个根与魂，落实好社会主义核心价值观教育、服务人民奉献社会教育，实现广大学生爱党、爱国和爱社会主义的统一，增强他们对马克思主义的信仰、对中国特色社会主义的信念、对实现中华民族伟大复兴的信心。思政课的政治属性决定了教师自身必须要有坚定的理想信念、正确的政治立场和鲜明的政治态度，要自觉站在中华民族伟大复兴战略全局的高度考虑教学，担负起为党育人、为国育才的重大使命。思政课的教育属性决定了思政课教师要把握好教育规律和学生成长成才规律，在教学中遵循着人的思想品德形成发展规律及思想政治教育过程规律，因材施教，因势利导，实现教书与育人的统一。

Adhering to the educational pattern of the grand ideological-political course [2]2 "Grand ideological-political course" (大思政课) refers to an expanded educational approach that integrates ideological-political education across all courses, campus activities, and social practices.. Currently, ideological-political courses are in an important period of quality improvement and connotative development. Teachers of ideological-political courses must attend to the ideological realities and practical needs of contemporary youth, comprehensively focusing on and specifically analyzing various issues arising among young people, effectively responding to their confusion and bewilderment concerning life, growth, and development in their individual circumstances, guiding them to seek and determine correct value orientations amid diverse trends of thought, and stimulating their development potential and internal drive. Relying solely on ideological-political classrooms and teachers is far from sufficient for delivering good ideological-political courses; it is a systematic project requiring the participation and full cooperation of the entire society. The educational concept of the "grand ideological-political course" must be used to combine the small classroom of ideological-political courses with the big classroom of society, leveraging their respective characteristics and advantages, integrating forces from all sectors of society, tapping into the ideological-political education resources of social institutions, promoting the formation of a mechanism for collaborative education among ideological-political classrooms, curriculum-based ideological-political education, and social practice, and accelerating the establishment of an all-staff, whole-process, all-round education situation.

坚持大思政课的育人格局。当前思政课正处于质量提升和内涵发展的重要时期。思政课教师要观照当代青少年的思想实际与现实需求，对于青少年中出现的各种问题全面关注具体分析，切实回应他们在个体化境遇中关于人生、成长和发展的困惑与迷茫，引导他们在多元思潮中寻找、确定正确的价值旨归，激发他们的发展潜力和内在驱力。上好思政课仅仅依靠思政课堂和思政教师是远远不够的，它是一项系统工程，需要全社会的参与和通力合作。必须以“大思政”的教育理念把思政小课堂和社会大课堂结合起来，发挥它们各自的特点和优势，整合全社会的各种力量，挖掘社会性机构的思想政治教育资源，推动形成思政课堂、课程思政和社会实践协同育人的机制，加快建成全员全过程全方位育人局面。

Exploring methodological innovation in ideological-political course teaching. There is no fixed method for teaching; what matters is finding the right method. Once teaching objectives are determined, the choice of method becomes very important. Teachers of ideological-political courses should thoroughly understand the teaching content, continuously explore teaching methods and means that match the teaching content, promptly summarize, and constantly adjust. Teachers of ideological-political courses must deeply understand the psychological characteristics of contemporary youth, explore teaching methods conducive to stimulating students' interest in learning, and be adept at flexibly applying lecture method, demonstration method, practice method, experiment method, discussion method, autonomous learning method, task collaboration method, and game teaching method, achieving the educational effect of cultivating roots and souls, enlightening wisdom and nourishing hearts through osmosis, subtle influence, and silent nourishment. Teachers of ideological-political courses are the main force in teaching method reform. Their enthusiasm for reform and innovation should be encouraged, responding well to the challenges brought by digital technology, creating more "golden courses" [3]3 "Golden courses" (金课) is a term used in Chinese higher education reform to denote high-quality, challenging, and engaging courses, as opposed to "watery courses" (水课). in ideological-political education, fully demonstrating the unique charm of school ideological-political education, making ideological-political courses interesting and useful in life, and attracting students to fall in love with them.

探索思政课教学的方法创新。教无定法，贵在得法。教学目标确定以后，方法的选择就显得十分重要。思政课教师应当吃透教学内容，不断探索与教学内容相匹配的教学方法和手段，及时总结，时时调整。思政课教师要深入了解当代青少年的心理特点，探究有助于激发学生学习兴趣的教学方法，善于将讲授法、演示法、练习法、实验法、讨论法、自主学习法、任务协作法、游戏教学法灵活运用，于耳濡目染、潜移默化和润物无声中实现培根铸魂、启智润心的育人效果。思政课教师是教法改革的主力军，要鼓励他们的改革和创新热情，回应好数字技术带来的挑战，创造出更多的思政“金课”，充分展示学校思想政治教育的独特魅力，让思政课在生活中有趣管用，吸引学生爱上思政课。

Improving the evaluation system for ideological-political course teaching. Assessment and evaluation are important links in ideological-political courses. Comprehensive, in-depth, and scientific evaluation of the teaching quality and effectiveness of ideological-political courses will help promote their quality improvement and efficiency enhancement. Evaluation of teachers should comprehensively examine their academic ability, professional level, teaching attitude, and other aspects, following principles such as multiple evaluation subjects, diverse evaluation content, and repeated evaluation frequency. Evaluation of students should measure their learning attitude, quality performance, and learning outcomes, highlighting the combination of process assessment, outcome assessment, and practical assessment. Ideological-political courses are the main venue for school ideological-political education, requiring close coordination and full cooperation among various school departments, clarifying the responsibilities of each party, and improving implementation rules. Teaching management departments should continuously optimize the evaluation mechanism for ideological-political courses, promoting teachers' and students' enjoyment of teaching and learning, and achieving mutual improvement through teaching.

完善思政课教学的评价体系。考核评价是思政课程的重要环节，全面、深入、科学地评价思政课教学质量和教学效果将有利于推动思政课的提质增效。对教师的评价要综合考察教师的学术能力、业务水平和教学态度等诸方面，要遵循评价主体多元，评价内容多样，评价频次多次等原则。对学生的评价要衡量学生的学习态度、素质表现和学习成果，要突出过程性考核、结果性考核和实践性考核相结合。思政课是学校思想政治教育的主场，需要学校各部门的紧密配合与通力合作，明确各方责任，健全实施细则，教学管理部门应当不断优化思政课的评价机制，推动师生乐教乐学，实现教学相长。

Building an excellent team of ideological-political course teachers. Teachers of ideological-political courses are the core figures in ideological-political education and teaching work. Whether their initiative is brought into play will significantly affect teaching effectiveness. Teachers of ideological-political courses are the designers, organizers, and implementers of teaching, as well as the hosts, liaisons, and evaluators in the teaching process. These multiple roles require them to possess excellent comprehensive qualities, firm political beliefs, solid theoretical foundations, noble professional ethics, and outstanding practical abilities. Building a team of ideological-political course teachers who are "strong in politics, deep in sentiment, new in thinking, broad in vision, strict in self-discipline, and upright in character" [4]4 This phrase is a standard requirement for ideological-political course teachers, first articulated by Xi Jinping at a symposium on school ideological-political theory courses in 2019., thoroughly understanding the fundamental attributes and basic laws of ideological-political education, clearly recognizing and accurately grasping the educational objects, actively exploring reform and innovation in ideological-political courses, continuously enriching teaching content, innovating teaching methods, improving teaching means, enhancing the practical effectiveness of ideological-political course teaching, and achieving the connotative development of ideological-political courses in the New Era.

建设优秀的思政课教师队伍。思政课教师是思想政治教育教学工作的核心人物，是否发挥出他们的能动性将较大程度地影响着教学效果。思政课教师是教学的设计者、组织者、实施者，也是教学过程中的主持人、联络员和评判者，多重角色要求他们具有优秀的综合素质，坚定的政治信仰，扎实的理论功底，高尚的职业操守和出色的实际能力。建设一支“政治强、情怀深、思维新、视野广、自律严、人格正”的思政课教师队伍，洞彻思想政治教育根本属性和基本规律，清晰认识和准确把握教育对象，积极探索思政课改革创新，不断丰富教学内容，革新教学方法、完善教学手段，提高思政课教学实效，实现新时代思政课的内涵式发展。

(The author is an Associate Professor at the School of Marxism, Lanzhou University, and a Researcher at the Gansu Provincial Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.)

（作者系兰州大学马克思主义学院副教授，甘肃省中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心研究员）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧