Research on the Application of Krathwohl Classification in Ideological and Political Education of Professional Courses ()
1. Introduction
As a new measure of education and teaching reform, ideological and political education of professional courses should be promoted widely in different majors, which is helpful to cultivate high-level talents with both ability and political integrity. The core of ideological and political education in all courses is to make use of other courses besides ideological and political theory courses to give play to the effectiveness of moral education (Wang & Sun, 2021). As an important part of the curriculum system, the moral education of professional courses can not be ignored. At present, studies on the coordination and integration of ideological and political education and professional teaching in different disciplines are increasing (Gou, Zhou, & Li, 2021; Li & Fu, 2020; Liu, 2022; Peng, 2022). Researches on the system and teaching practice also provide valuable suggestions for promoting the construction of ideological and political education of professional courses (Liu, Liu, Huang, Cui, & Ren, 2019; Liu, 2022; Hong & Yuan, 2022; Li, 2022). However, there are few in-depth studies on the ideological and political objectives of the curriculum. Subdividing objectives, which should be taken as the starting point and destination, play an important role in advancing the implementation of ideological and political education. The classification of educational objectives proposed by Krathwohl et al., that education goals of affective domain are an orderly continuum promoted from low to high level, which in turn includes receiving, responding, valuing, organization and characterization by a value or value complex, shows that students first pay attention to some phenomena or behaviors, maintain certain attitudes or judgments, and then gradually form relatively stable and long-term judgmental emotional tendencies which are eventually internalized as the long-term personal value orientation. The paper mainly studies the application of Krathwohl Classification in the subdivision of ideological and political objectives and the design of teaching methods.
2. Applicability of Krathwohl Classification in Ideological and Political Education of Professional Courses
Colleges and universities are required to construct the curriculum system of ideological and political education with comprehensive coverage, rich types, progressive levels and mutual support. Therefore, on the basis of combining characteristics of different professional courses, the construction of system should be carried out from shallow and basic to deep and applied according to the order in which students take courses, so as to help them acquire knowledge and establish correct values. Emotional orientation plays an important role in moral judgment and attribution of responsibility (Guo, 2020). Therefore, guiding students’ emotional tendency is beneficial to improving the effect of ideological and political education. The Krathwohl emotional goal is a continuous body arranged hierarchically, indicating that emotional development is a spiral process from externalization to internalization and then to externalization with the ultimate goal of helping students form consistent values. From the perspective of the value shaping and the gradation of the process, Krathwohl Classification and the construction of curriculum system of ideological and political education have natural homogeneity.
In order to integrate professional teaching with ideological and political education, ideological and political education of professional courses should follow the progress of professional learning. According to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the cognitive process of professional knowledge, which can be divided into knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation, is gradually progressive and accumulated layer by layer. Therefore, from the view of the consistency of hierarchical logic, Krathwohl Classification is consistent with the professional teaching process. Through the coordination of teaching objectives in the cognitive and affective domains, students will gradually develop values that are closely related to but transcend their professional knowledge. Only when teaching goals of cognitive and affective domains are accomplished together can we cultivate high-level talents to meet the needs of social development. So ideological and political education using Krathwohl Classification can be better integrated with the professional teaching process, which is conducive to the cultivation of high-quality talents. To sum up, Krathwohl Classification has a good applicability in ideological and political education of professional courses.
3. Application of Krathwohl Classification in Ideological and Political Education of Professional Courses
Because Krathwohl Classification has a good applicability in ideological and political education of professional courses, Krathwohl classification can be used in the subdivision of ideological and political objectives and the design of teaching methods. For the convenience of understanding, the application of each level will be illustrated by economics majors as an example.
3.1. Receiving
Receiving means students feel the existence of certain phenomena or stimuli and are willing to pay attention to or receive them. If what the teacher teaches can get the constant attention of students even when there are distractions, it shows the educational objectives at this level have been achieved. Demonstration method and network assisted teaching method can help teachers to achieve this goal.
3.1.1. Demonstration Method
It is beneficial for ideological and political education to attract students’ attention in the introduction stage. Teachers can make full use of multimedia, network video and other popular modern teaching means, which combine the traditional advantages of ideological and political education with modern technology. In addition to attracting students’ attention, teachers can also introduce high-quality ideological and political teaching resources. For example, in the chapter “National Income Accounting”, the highlights of The Rise of Great Powers can be used as the introduction before class, so that students can understand the rise and fall of major economies in the world, and what contributions they can make to China to improve its international status and become a world economic power. Students are easy to receive such stimulation, laying a foundation for the formation of correct values.
3.1.2. Network Assisted Teaching Method
The highest goal of receiving is to make students keep their attention actively, which can be achieved by network platform. Because it is difficult to learn some study materials in class due to the limited time, and in order to make students pay attention quickly, the network platform can be used to upload the expanded materials before class. For example, in the introduction to economics courses, teachers can expand the economic wisdom of ancient Chinese before class, as some economic theory can be explained more easily by Chinese proverbs. For example, the thorn effect can be expressed as “it is easy when one’s living condition ascends from economical to luxurious; conversely, that becomes hard”. The study materials containing excellent traditional culture and spirit can arouse students’ attention. So teachers can extend relevant ideological and political content in the classroom to get students’ lasting attention, which lays the foundation for the subsequent cultivation of moral character.
3.2. Responding
Responding means students who are fully motivated show positive attention, participate in and get satisfaction from the subject or activity they choose. Students are not only passively driven, but also show interest in teaching practice, which is a process from shallow and passive to deep and active. Task-driven method and flipped classroom are better teaching methods to achieve this goal.
3.2.1. Task-Driven Method
At this level, students first appear adaptive response, which can be reflected by the degree to which students comply with requirements and complete assignments. Teachers can assign after-class tasks which contain correct value orientation to guide students to establish correct values through the process of collecting materials, thinking and completing tasks. For example, after teaching financial markets, the teacher can ask students to compare different international financial markets. Adapting to requirements, students have an in-depth understanding of the characteristics and development process of each financial market, and summarize the advantages worthy of reference for development of China. The potential concept that the country still needs contributions of students is strengthened in this process. Teachers can also know whether students’ current values have reached the expected goals from the submitted tasks.
3.2.2. Flipped Classroom
Teachers should focus on getting students to participate in class voluntarily and enjoy it. Flipped classroom can be used that are mainly taught voluntarily by students. Teachers can also enrich the classroom in forms of situation dialogue, role play, games and other student-oriented forms under the principle of voluntary. The principle of voluntary can ensure that students are interested in and actively participate in classroom activities, reflect the emotional tendencies to a greater extent, which helps teachers form a more accurate judgment on students. For example, in fiscal policy and monetary policy, students can be asked to find national strategies which maintain steady economic growth in recent years, and report results in the classroom voluntarily. The positive attitude is conducive to the formation of emotional tendency to identify with such ideological concepts as patriotism and dedication.
3.3. Valuing
Valuing means students will link special objects, phenomena and behaviors with a certain value standard, clearly affirm the theory they have learned, and gradually internalize the specific value standard as their own value standard. At this level, students can use value criterion to explain, judge or demonstrate specific things. The target can be achieved by case analysis method and interactive questioning method.
3.3.1. Case Analysis Method
The ultimate goal of valuing is making students accept correct values and regard them as the yardstick of daily behavior. Teachers can incorporate cases containing ideological and political elements into the course to help students turn the values taught by teachers into their own value standards. For example, when teaching competition and monopoly, teachers can expand the problems that might be caused by monopoly such as rent-seeking and reducing social welfare, and study the possible internal and external causes of corruption based on the career of government or enterprise personnel, so as to clarify the serious consequences caused by corruption. By showing the typical cases of corruption brought by quotas, let students deepen their understanding of the necessity of fighting against corruption, and understand that only clean governance can ensure the long-term stability of the country.
3.3.2. Interactive Questioning Method
The goal of valuing which is a progressive process is to enable students to gradually be convinced of the correct values based on initial acceptance. Interactive questioning method is a good way to grasp the situation of students’ values and strengthen the infiltration of values. Relevant topics can be provided for students to speak freely. For example, when teaching the tax system, teachers can provide topics on tax reform in different industries, which can be chosen by students freely, such as replacing business tax with VAT. In this process, students can explore the development of China’s tax system, understand the similarities and differences before and after the reform more actively. During the exchange, students can learn that the country has been improving the tax system to lighten the people’s burden and add vitality to the economy, which strengthens students’ national pride and confidence.
3.4. Organization
Organization means students can synthesize values, judge and deal with connections and conflicts between different values, and start to establish the internal consistency of the value system when they continue to internalize various values. Group debate method and discourse teaching method can be used in this level.
3.4.1. Group Debate Method
In order to make students understand the relationship between various values correctly, on the one hand, students need to connect a certain value concept with the existing value orientation closely, and on the other hand, students need to clarify the ordered relationship between different value concepts and form value complexes. Teachers can adopt group debate methods, which can not only improve students’ competency, but also make students develop a good thought pattern and construct a correct value system. For example, teachers can use visible hand and invisible hand as the topic of debate. Through group debate, students can deeply understand that the operation of national economy requires integrating government control with market forces, realize the economic operation mechanism of China, and strengthen national identity.
3.4.2. Discourse Teaching Method
Teachers can help students to clarify the inner relationship of various values by means of direct discussion. For important theories, teachers can introduce relevant theoretical policies in China when demonstrating or explaining them. For example, when explaining Keynesian macroeconomic theory and policies, teachers can expand the introduction of China’s macro-control by referring to the views of the theory, so that students can have an in-depth understanding of China’s situation and relevant theories, and distinguish the relationship between different values in different situations.
3.5. Characterization by a Value or Value Complex
Characterization by a value or value complex means students fully integrate values into their ideological system and insist on practicing the formed values. At this level, values are organized into an internal system that controls individual behaviors and lifestyles. In order to achieve the target, visiting teaching method and practical teaching method can used in professional teaching.
3.5.1. Visiting Teaching Method
This level needs to guide students to form consistent values and help them to integrate the internalized value system with practice, which will be the prerequisite for daily behavior. Visiting teaching method is an effective way. Many corporate cultures contain a clear sense of national responsibility. Teachers can organize students to visit patriotic enterprises, which helps students internalize correct value standards. The combination of corporate culture and daily operation can help students understand how to combine values with specific practices, so that the values and emotions formed in the course can be internalized and released.
3.5.2. Practical Teaching Method
This level lays particular emphasis on putting ideological and political education into practice and truly implementing the three-wide education. China strongly supports students to carry out innovative and entrepreneurial activities. And the design of applied economics courses should seize the opportunity to train students. For example, in the teaching of practice of investment, teachers can use online resources to conduct investment practice teaching, guide students to use virtual investment software (such as Huashun) for investment and asset management, simulating the process of securities trading. Teachers can encourage students to intern at companies, so that students can truly experience the operation of the capital market, understand the development of China, pay attention to national affairs from the perspective of practice and form the patriotism of caring for the society.
The above five levels, which constitute a continuous goal system, realize the progressive and sublimation of affective domain, and eventually internalize the students’ own values which affect their personality and behaviors. This is the application of Krathwohl Classification in ideological and political education of professional courses. Different majors should choose methods according to the subject background (Table 1).
4. Problems Needing Attention in the Application of Krathwohl Classification
The application of Krathwohl Classification is helpful to achieve the goal of ideological and political education of professional courses by implementing emotional target teaching and improving teaching methods. Krathwohl Classification indicates that emotional development is a gradual process and the achievement of emotional goals is not easily observed. So it requires universities and teachers to shoulder the responsibility together. Colleges and universities should improve the relevant systems and other safeguards. Teachers should attach great importance to the value and function of classroom teaching, implement emotional target teaching accurately, grasp the formation of students’ values timely, and improve teaching methods continuously according to students’ feedback.
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Table 1. Application of krathwohl classification in ideological and political education of professional courses.
Source: Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S., & Masia, B. B. (1989). Taxonomy of Education Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook II: Affective Domain (Shi, L. F., & Zhang, Y. G., Trans.). Shanghai: East China Normal University Press (Original work published 1964).
4.1. Paying Attention to the Overall Promotion, Attaching Importance to the Value and Function of Classroom Teaching
Ideological and political education should cover all disciplines and courses, and professional learning and emotional development are gradual and continuous processes. Therefore, in order to achieve the goal of ideological and political education and improve teaching methods, it is particularly necessary to carry out teaching reform and innovation from an overall perspective, construct the professional curriculum system and improve the mechanism of emotional target teaching, so that all the courses of professional teaching can achieve the teaching goal together. It requires universities and teachers to shoulder the responsibility together. In this process, colleges and universities should provide institutional guarantee and pay attention to the overall progress and development direction. As the key of the implementation of emotional target teaching, teachers should attach great importance to the value and function of classroom teaching, implement emotional targets of each level, and improve the quality of talent cultivation from the aspects of character building, personality formation and value cultivation.
4.2. Implementing Student-Oriented Timely and Moderate Emotional Target Teaching
As Krathwohl Classification indicates that emotional development is a gradual process, teachers should lead students’ emotions from acceptance and adaptation to conviction and deepening according to the growth path of students’ thinking in the design of teaching. Because students are the main body in this process, teachers should change the emotional goals timely and flexibly according to the emotional development of students. In the teaching of professional courses, teachers should guide the cognitive and emotional level of students to achieve the established goals. At the same time, the design of teaching cases and other content which can not be far-fetched or arbitrarily extended should not only keep up with social focus, but also be closely connected with professional knowledge.
4.3. Establishing the Developmental Bidirectional Target Evaluation System
Because it is difficult to judge intuitively whether the hierarchical goal of Krathwohl Classification is achieved, teachers need to evaluate students to grasp it as a whole. And the formation of values is a process of continuous development and improvement. In order to achieve ideological and political goals, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of students from the perspective of development. For example, in the initial stage of courses, diagnostic evaluation can be used to understand the quality of students; in the daily teaching process, it is formative evaluation, which constantly improves the cultivating scheme and teaching quality according to the formation of values; at the end of the semester or graduation year, it is the final evaluation, focusing on the overall evaluation of quality. During the period, students can conduct self-evaluation through questionnaires and other forms, and give feedback to teachers’ teaching situation, which is helpful to modify and improve teaching methods and establish a two-way target evaluation system.
5. Conclusion
Based on the ultimate task of moral education and the progressive process of ideological and political education of professional courses, Krathwohl Classification can be applied in the teaching methods of ideological and political education, so as to ensure that students can be effectively guided in each stage of value formation, providing suggestions for ideological and political education of professional courses.
Fund Project
Research Project on Postgraduate Education and Teaching Reform in Shandong Province, “Research on the Planning and Implementation Path of Curriculum Ideological and Political System of National Economics” (Project No. SDYJG21064); Graduate Education Reform and Research Construction Project of Ocean University of China, “Research on the Planning and Implementation Path of Curriculum Ideological and Political System of National Economics in School of Economics” (Project No. HDJG21011); Key Project of Undergraduate Education and Teaching Research of Ocean University of China, “Research on Systematic Planning and Implementation of Curriculum Ideological and Political System in School of Economics” (Project No. 2021ZD20).