Integrating the “Small Classroom” and the “Big Classroom” of Ideological and Political Education

The ideological and political course is the main channel and main front for schools to conduct ideological and political education for students. An ideological and political course with appeal and pertinence should be closely linked to social reality. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Ideological and political courses should not only be taught in the classroom, but also in social life,” [1]1 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on school ideological and political theory courses, March 18, 2019. “‘The big ideological and political course’ we must make good use of it, and it must be combined with reality,” [2]2 Xi Jinping, remarks during an inspection tour in March 2021. and “effectively integrate the ‘small classroom’ of ideological and political education with the social ‘big classroom.’” [3]3 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on school ideological and political theory courses, March 18, 2019. To explain principles deeply, thoroughly, and vividly in ideological and political courses, relying solely on theoretical exposition and logical reasoning is insufficient; it is also necessary to base principles on facts, support principles with facts, and interpret facts with principles. Only an ideological and political course that combines theory with practice can better forge souls and educate people, communicate with hearts, enlighten minds and nourish hearts, and inspire fighting spirit. Integrating the “small classroom” and the “big classroom” helps enhance the effectiveness of ideological and political courses.

思政课是学校对学生进行思想政治教育的主渠道、主阵地。一堂有吸引力和针对性的思政课，应是与社会现实紧密联系的。习近平总书记指出，“思政课不仅应该在课堂上讲，也应该在社会生活中来讲”，“‘大思政课’我们要善用之，一定要跟现实结合起来”，“把思政教育‘小课堂’和社会‘大课堂’有效融合起来”。在思政课上把道理讲深、讲透、讲活，单纯依靠理论阐释、逻辑推理是不够的，还需要将道理建立在事实的基础上，以事实支撑道理，用道理诠释事实。只有理论与实践相结合的思政课，才能更好铸魂育人、沟通心灵、启智润心、激扬斗志。而融合“小课堂”和“大课堂”，有助于增强思政课实效。

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The essence of the ideological and political course is to explain principles. Integrating the “small classroom” and the “big classroom” helps explain principles deeply, thoroughly, and vividly. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “When teaching ideological and political courses, one cannot simply read documents aloud, which is lifeless and dry.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on school ideological and political theory courses, March 18, 2019. Theoretical learning cannot replace personal practice, nor can teacher guidance replace student thinking. Effectively integrating the ideological and political “small classroom” with the social “big classroom,” teaching ideological and political courses on the motherland’s vast land, integrating into the greater society and displaying a broad vision, allowing students to step out of the school gate to perceive social conditions and public opinion, to feel the vast world, and to make the ideological and political course full of “the flavor of the fields,” so that when heard it quenches thirst, when studied it resonates, and when savored it leaves an aftertaste, helps guide students to experience personally and think dialectically. Only then can the principles conveyed be truly explained deeply, thoroughly, and vividly, and only then can the beliefs thus established be firm and solid.

思政课的本质是讲道理。融合“小课堂”和“大课堂”，有助于把道理讲深讲透讲活。习近平总书记指出：“上思政课不能拿着文件宣读，没有生命、干巴巴的。”理论学习代替不了亲身实践，教师引导也代替不了学生思考。把思政“小课堂”和社会“大课堂”有效融合起来，把思政课讲在祖国大地上，融入大社会、展现大格局，让学生走出校门感知社情民意、感受广阔天地，使思政课充满“田野味道”，听起来能解渴、学起来引共鸣、品起来增回味，有助于引导广大学生切身体验、辩证思考，这样传递的道理才是真正的讲深讲透讲活，这样树立的信念才能坚定牢固。

Integrating the “small classroom” and the “big classroom” also helps exert the educational role of practical achievements. General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important instruction on the construction of ideological and political courses in schools, emphasizing, “We must always adhere to the guiding position of Marxism, and take the world-renowned achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics as the content support.” [5]5 Xi Jinping, important instruction on the construction of school ideological and political courses, May 2024. Since reform and opening up, especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics has achieved world-renowned accomplishments. These practical achievements are both historical and contemporary, both Chinese and global, providing rich content support for teaching ideological and political courses well. The great achievements of the New Era contain numerous typical stories and vivid cases. Selecting stories and cases that students are generally concerned about to teach, supporting principles with facts and interpreting principles, can significantly enhance the explanatory power and persuasiveness of ideological and political courses; selecting stories and cases that occur in students’ hometowns or even around them allows students to truly see, hear, and feel them, making the ideological and political course well-founded, flesh-and-blood, and possessing affinity and appeal.

融合“小课堂”和“大课堂”，也有助于发挥实践成就的教育作用。习近平总书记对学校思政课建设作出重要指示强调，“要始终坚持马克思主义指导地位，以中国特色社会主义取得的举世瞩目成就为内容支撑”。改革开放以来特别是党的十八大以来，中国特色社会主义取得了举世瞩目的成就，这些实践成就既是历史的也是现实的，既是中国的也是世界的，为讲好思政课提供了丰富内容支撑。新时代伟大成就包含众多典型故事和生动案例，选取学生普遍关切的故事和案例来讲，以事实支撑道理、诠释道理，能显著增强思政课的解释力和说服力；选取发生在学生家乡乃至身边的故事和案例，能让学生真切看到、听到、感受到，让思政课有根有据、有血有肉，具有亲和力和感染力。

Integrating the “small classroom” and the “big classroom” also helps guide students to better understand national conditions and public sentiment. Advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization requires generation after generation of talented individuals with both moral integrity and professional competence to strive for it. To strive to cultivate more new-era individuals who reassure the Party, are patriotic and dedicated, and bear the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation, ideological and political education should give full play to the unique role of practical teaching in promoting students to guide action with knowledge and test knowledge through action, allowing students to step out of the school gate to perceive national conditions and public sentiment, to feel the vast world, to observe both the “great practice” and “great cause” of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to feel the “small life” and “small examples” around them. Through immersive on-site experiences, they deepen their understanding of the teaching content of ideological and political courses, inspire feelings of striving together with the motherland and growing with the times, increase wisdom and talent in innovation and entrepreneurship, and temper will and character in arduous struggle.

融合“小课堂”和“大课堂”，还有助于引导学生更好了解国情民情。以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业，需要一批又一批德才兼备的人才为之奋斗。努力培养更多让党放心、爱国奉献、担当民族复兴重任的时代新人，思政教育应发挥好实践教学促进学生以知引行、以行践知的独特作用，让学生走出校门感知国情民情、感受广阔天地，既观察中国共产党、中国特色社会主义的“大实践”“大事业”，又感受身边的“小生活”“小事例”，通过身临其境的现场体验，加深对思政课教学内容的理解，激励与祖国共奋进、与时代共成长的情怀，在创新创业中增长智慧才干，在艰苦奋斗中锤炼意志品质。

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To expand a new pattern of comprehensive education with the “big ideological and political course,” effectively integrate the “small classroom” of ideological and political education with the social “big classroom,” educate and guide students to measure the motherland’s vast land with their footsteps, observe the fiery practice with their eyes, and feel the pulse of the times with their hearts, and promote students’ profound understanding of the practical power of the Party’s innovative theory, attention must be paid to methods and approaches, with a focus on grasping the following key links.

以“大思政课”拓展全面育人新格局，有效融合思政教育“小课堂”和社会“大课堂”，教育引导学生用脚步丈量祖国大地，用眼睛观察火热实践，用内心感受时代脉搏，促进学生深刻感悟党的创新理论的实践伟力，需要注重方式方法，重点把握以下几个环节。

Broaden teachers’ horizons and enhance teaching skills. “A teacher of classics is easy to find, but a teacher of humanity is hard to come by.” [6]6 A classical Chinese saying from the *Zizhi Tongjian* (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government), emphasizing the rarity of a teacher who cultivates moral character. Teaching ideological and political courses well, teachers are crucial. On the new journey, ideological and political course teachers cannot only be instructors who impart textbook knowledge; they must also establish a broad vision and become “great masters” who teach students the correct standpoints, viewpoints, and methods for observing today’s world and contemporary China. Only when teachers have broad horizons can they explain principles deeply, thoroughly, and vividly. For example, focusing on strengthening the “Four Confidences,” [7]7 The “Four Confidences” is a numbered slogan referring to confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. let students experience on the ground the landmark achievements and breakthrough progress of the great achievements of the New Era, organize students to visit archives, Party history museums, and achievement exhibitions. Through comparative analysis, guide students to perceive the power of thought from the changes and transformations around them, enhance students’ sense of pride, and cultivate students’ concept of struggle.

拓宽教师视野，增强教学本领。“经师易求，人师难得。”上好思政课，教师至关重要。新征程上，思政课教师不能只做传授书本知识的教书匠，还要树立宽广视野，成为教授学生观察当今世界、当代中国正确立场观点方法的“大先生”。教师视野广阔，方能把道理讲深讲透讲活。例如，聚焦坚定“四个自信”，让学生实地感受新时代伟大成就的标志性成果、突破性进展，组织学生参观档案馆、党史馆、成就展，通过对比分析，引导学生从身边的变化变迁感悟思想伟力，增强学生的自豪感，培养学生的奋斗观念。

Expand the scope of the classroom and strengthen practical teaching. To make good use of the “big ideological and political course,” it is necessary to give full play to the role of practical teaching such as social practice and thematic research. In July 1990, students from Peking University went to Fuzhou City for social practice activities. Comrade Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee, learned of this and attached great importance to it. He used his evening rest time to visit the practice group’s residence and had a discussion with them. He earnestly exhorted: “Students’ concern for the country and the people can only be truly understood by going to the grassroots, to practice, and to the people, to know how to use the knowledge learned and how to contribute to society.” [8]8 Xi Jinping, speech to Peking University students during a social practice activity in Fuzhou, July 1990. This enlightens us that we should organize and guide students to step out of campus and into society, to go to the fields and factory workshops, especially to make full use of memorial venues, patriotic education bases, and other resources to carry out on-site teaching, to tell the Party’s stories, revolutionary stories, and heroes’ stories well, so that students can understand society, temper their will, deepen national identity, and cultivate patriotic feelings in practice.

扩大课堂范围，强化实践教学。善用“大思政课”，需要充分发挥社会实践、主题调研等实践教学的作用。1990年7月，北京大学的学生们到福州市进行社会实践活动。时任福州市委书记的习近平同志获悉后非常重视，利用晚上休息时间到实践团驻地看望大家并座谈。他深情寄语：“同学们的忧国忧民，只有到基层中去、到实践中去、到人民中去，才能真正知道所学的知识如何去发挥、如何去为社会作贡献。”这启示我们，要组织和引导学生走出校园、走入社会，走向田间地头、工厂车间，特别是要充分利用纪念场馆、爱国主义教育基地等资源开展现场教学，讲好党的故事、革命的故事、英雄的故事，让学生在实践中认识社会、锤炼意志，深化国家认同，厚植爱国情感。

Link inside and outside the school to gather joint educational forces. The “big ideological and political course” is big precisely because it is a big social course, a systematic project. Relying solely on schools is not enough; it requires the joint participation of all sectors of society. Effectively integrating the “small classroom” and the “big classroom” requires close cooperation among multiple subjects, joint efforts from multiple aspects, coordination between inside and outside the classroom, linkage between inside and outside the school, integration of multiple resources, and the creation of a big ideological and political classroom covering the classroom, campus, and society. We should adhere to the systems concept, form a work pattern of unified leadership by the Party committee, joint management by the Party and government, respective responsibilities of relevant departments, and coordinated cooperation of the whole society, and gather the joint educational forces of the whole society. Educational resources can be expanded according to local conditions.

联动校内校外，汇聚育人合力。“大思政课”，大就大在是一门社会大课，是一项系统工程，光靠学校还不够，需要社会各方面共同参与。有效融合“小课堂”和“大课堂”，需要多主体密切合作、多方面共同发力，课上课下协同、校内校外联动，整合多方资源，打造覆盖课堂、校园、社会的思政大课堂。应坚持系统观念，形成党委统一领导、党政齐抓共管、有关部门各负其责、全社会协同配合的工作格局，汇聚全社会的育人合力。可根据不同地方实际，因地制宜拓展教育资源。

Make good use of information technology to achieve open source and capacity expansion. The rapidly developing information technology provides new opportunities for promoting the integrity and innovation of ideological and political courses. With the help of various technologies such as images, charts, videos, and audio, the resource and time-space limitations of traditional education can be broken through, creating a three-dimensional teaching space and immersive educational scenes for ideological and political courses. In recent years, some schools, supported by information technology, have used methods such as digital conversion, automated storage, and intelligent retrieval to build a “big platform” for open sharing of educational resources. This not only provides teachers with a theoretical question bank and case material bank but also allows students to have more knowledge and information available and real stories to hear in ideological and political courses. Some schools also use information technology to create virtual spaces, allowing students to wear VR glasses and “walk into” the Memorial of the First National Congress of the CPC and other red venues; wear VR helmets and transform into Red Army soldiers, entering the virtual battlefield of “Capturing the Luding Bridge.” [9]9 A famous battle during the Long March (1935) in which the Red Army captured a key bridge over the Dadu River. This “immersive” teaching method allows students to more vividly and concretely feel history and understand reality, stimulating their enthusiasm and initiative in learning.

善用信息技术，实现开源扩容。迅猛发展的信息技术为推动思政课守正创新提供了新机遇。借助图像图表、视频音频等多种技术，可突破传统教育的资源和时空限制，为思政课打造立体式教学空间和沉浸式教育场景。近年来，一些学校以信息技术为支撑，利用数字转化、自动化存储、智能化检索等方式，搭建起教育资源开放共享的“大平台”，不仅为教师提供了理论问题库、案例素材库，也让学生在思政课上有更多知识信息可得、真实故事可听。有的学校还运用信息技术营造出虚拟空间，让学生佩戴VR眼镜，“走进”中共一大纪念馆等红色场馆；佩戴VR头盔，变身为红军战士，进入“飞夺泸定桥”的虚拟战场。这种“身临其境”的教学方式，让学生更加真切具象地感受历史、读懂现实，激发了学习的积极性和主动性。

(Author: Qiu Feng, Associate Professor, School of Marxism, Wuhan Institute of Technology)

（作者：邱峰，系武汉工程大学马克思主义学院副教授）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心