Exploration and Practice of Path to Enhancing Comprehensive Qualities of Normal University Students from the Perspective of Developmental Funding ()
Qualities, Enhancement Pathway
1. Introduction
Enhancing the comprehensive qualities of teachers is of great significance in promoting the improvement of education quality and cultivating qualified talents. Cultivating normal university students with a strong sense of social responsibility and innovative entrepreneurial abilities is of crucial importance for the development of China’s education cause. In the context of rapid societal changes, normal university students face new tasks and requirements, as well as a series of challenges and issues. Therefore, conducting research on the strategies that influence the enhancement of comprehensive qualities of normal university students from the perspective of developmental funding has important practical significance.
The enhancement of comprehensive qualities of normal university students is a complex and multidimensional process, which includes various aspects such as educational philosophy, practical abilities, moral cultivation, and professional accomplishments. Many researchers (Zhao, 2023; Wu, 2023; Li, 2019) argue that improving the comprehensive qualities of normal university students is an important way to achieve educational modernization. However, current research mainly focuses on the theoretical level, and there has been limited in-depth exploration of the specific pathways and practical strategies for enhancing the comprehensive qualities of normal university students. Particularly, under the context of developmental funding, there is still a lack of in-depth research on how to comprehensively utilize various resources to promote a comprehensive enhancement of the comprehensive qualities of normal university students. Based on this, this article aims to conduct an in-depth exploration of the pathways to enhancing the comprehensive qualities of normal university students under the perspective of developmental funding, and answer the following questions: 1) What are the main issues in enhancing the comprehensive qualities of normal university students under the background of developmental funding? 2) What are the specific impacts of developmental funding on enhancing the comprehensive qualities of normal university students? 3) What are the effective pathways and strategies to promote the enhancement of comprehensive qualities of normal university students?
In conclusion, this article will explore new ideas and methods through researching the pathways to enhancing the comprehensive qualities of normal university students under the perspective of developmental funding, in order to provide theoretical references and practical guidance for the cultivation of normal university students.
2. Enhancing the Comprehensive Qualities of Normal University Students from the Perspective of Developmental Funding
2.1. The Connotation and Characteristics of Developmental Funding
Developmental assistance refers to a form of financial support provided to recipients to facilitate their personal, educational, or vocational development. It emphasizes the provision of funds along with training, guidance, and other measures to help recipients not only address immediate financial needs but also cultivate their self-development and enhance their capabilities. The essence of developmental assistance lies in addressing the inherent contradiction between the developmental potential and intrinsic requirements of the recipients under the ultimate goal of \“putting people first and promoting their comprehensive development.\” It achieves this by stimulating the initiative and proactivity of the recipients, constructing a virtuous interactive mechanism between the subject and object, and ultimately achieving win-win outcomes (Qin & Qin, 2023) .
Developmental assistance in higher education refers to the support provided to students with financial difficulties based on the principles of ensuring assistance, in accordance with the laws of educational development and student growth. It aims to help students achieve comprehensive development and fulfill the fundamental mission of cultivating morally sound individuals in higher education (Qin & Qin, 2023) .
The characteristics and essence of developmental assistance can be summarized as follows:
1) Comprehensive Support: Developmental funding is based on providing financial support, along with related forms of support such as training, guidance, and counseling. It not only meets beneficiaries’ basic living needs but also focuses on cultivating their skills, knowledge, and abilities and enhancing their development in education and employment.
2) Long-term Nature: Developmental funding emphasizes long-term support and companionship, not only pursuing immediate effectiveness but also focusing on beneficiaries’ sustained development. It differs from one-time assistance-focused funding and typically provides support to beneficiaries over an extended period.
3) Personalization: Developmental funding emphasizes individual differences and tailors support measures accordingly based on beneficiaries’ needs and characteristics. It provides specific training and guidance based on beneficiaries’ situations, helping them discover and develop their own strengths and potentials.
4) Outcome-oriented: Developmental funding emphasizes a focus on development and outcomes and evaluates beneficiaries’ development status through quantifiable and qualitative assessment methods. It seeks to scientifically evaluate beneficiaries’ development paths and results, continuously optimizing funding strategies and measures. Comprehensive qualities of normal university students refer to the multifaceted abilities and qualities that are cultivated and developed during their learning process as future teachers. It encompasses their performance in areas such as professional knowledge, educational theories and practical skills, and personal character.
The characteristics of comprehensive qualities of normal university students include: sound professional knowledge, excellent educational theories and teaching methods, rich practical experience, positive learning attitudes, good interpersonal communication and cooperation abilities, strong sense of responsibility and professional ethics, innovation consciousness and creative abilities, adherence to professional ethics and professional conduct, and a focus on the comprehensive growth of each student. The continuous development and improvement of the comprehensive qualities of normal university students play a crucial role in their becoming outstanding teachers.
2.2. The Connotation of the Comprehensive Qualities of Normal University Students
The \“Notice on the Issuance of the Action Plan for the Revitalization of Teacher Education (2018-2022)\” issued by the Ministry of Education and four other departments proposes from a national level to \“comprehensively enhance the comprehensive qualities and competence levels of normal university students\”, placing the cultivation of comprehensive qualities of teachers at the core of teacher workforce development.
The comprehensive qualities of normal university students refer to the multifaceted abilities and qualities developed and nurtured during their learning process as future teachers. It encompasses their overall performance in terms of professional knowledge, educational theories and practical skills, as well as personal character.
The comprehensive quality of normal students has become a focus of research in the field of education, focusing on their professional competence, personal growth, and autonomous development (Huang, Yan, & Huang, 2018) . The characteristics of the comprehensive quality of normal students include: sound professional knowledge, excellent educational theories and teaching methods, rich practical experience, positive learning attitudes, effective interpersonal communication and cooperation skills, a strong sense of responsibility and professional ethics, innovative thinking and creative abilities, adherence to professional ethical norms and professional integrity, and a focus on the comprehensive growth of each student. The continuous development and improvement of the comprehensive quality of normal students play an essential role in their becoming outstanding teachers.
2.3. The Significance and Role of Enhancing the Comprehensive Qualities of Normal University Students from the Perspective of Developmental Funding
The role of developmental assistance in student growth is multidimensional, encompassing aspects such as academic performance, professional development, personal growth, social integration, and employment. The essence of developmental assistance lies in its focus on students, accurately understanding their personalized needs for comprehensive development. By constructing an effective and sustainable mechanism that combines economic assistance, moral guidance, capacity expansion, and spiritual motivation, developmental assistance aims to facilitate the growth of students from financially disadvantaged families into individuals who possess comprehensive development in moral, intellectual, physical, artistic, and labor aspects (Jin & Wang, 2020) . It achieves this by providing counseling support, practical opportunities, and individualized development plans to help students fulfill their potential and achieve personal and career goals.
1) Academic Performance: The effect of developmental funding on students’ academic performance is a significant area of research. Studies have shown that developmental funding programs that offer academic tutoring, mentor guidance, and personalized educational support contribute to improving students’ academic performance, particularly for those facing academic challenges.
2) Professional Development: Developmental funding also has a positive impact on students’ professional development. This form of funding can provide internship opportunities, professional mentorship, academic exchanges, and research experiences to help students develop professional skills and expand their professional networks.
3) Personal Growth: Developmental funding also positively influences students’ personal growth and holistic development. By providing opportunities for social practices, leadership experiences, volunteer services, and cultural exchanges, students can enhance self-awareness, explore interests and hobbies, cultivate self-confidence and leadership abilities, thereby achieving overall growth.
4) Social Engagement: Developmental funding helps foster students’ sense of social responsibility and awareness of social engagement. Through involvement in philanthropic activities, student clubs and organizations, and community services, students can develop social skills, build social relationships, and actively contribute to society.
5) Employment Competitiveness: Developmental funding also has a positive impact on students’ future employability. By providing career guidance, internship opportunities, and vocational training support, students can gain a better understanding of occupational demands, enhance employability skills, and expand job opportunities.
2.4. Current Research on the Enhancement of Comprehensive Qualities of Normal University Students
1) Disconnection between Educational Theory and Practice:
Although the enhancement of comprehensive qualities of normal university students emphasizes the integration of educational theory and practice, there exists a certain disconnection when it comes to actual implementation. There is insufficient mutual support and interaction between research on educational theory and teaching practice. The specific problems and challenges in teaching practice are not adequately reflected in theoretical research, resulting in a lack of coordination between theory and practice.
2) Singular Evaluation System:
The evaluation of comprehensive qualities of normal university students often revolves around exam scores and academic credentials, lacking comprehensive and diverse assessment methods. This evaluation system fails to accurately reflect the true level of students’ comprehensive qualities and tends to overlook their non-cognitive abilities and practical skills, thereby impeding the improvement of comprehensive qualities.
3) Insufficient Development of Interdisciplinary Comprehensive Qualities:
The current educational system has yet to fully promote the development of interdisciplinary comprehensive qualities among normal university students. The cultivation of subject-specific knowledge still primarily focuses on knowledge within the discipline, with a lack of integration and expansion across disciplines. As a result, normal university students lack the comprehensive abilities required to tackle complex problems and apply interdisciplinary knowledge.
4) Incomplete Professional Development of Teachers:
The enhancement of comprehensive qualities of normal university students should go hand in hand with the professional development of teachers. However, the current opportunities and avenues for professional development are still inadequate. Teacher training institutions and educational organizations should strengthen the cultivation of teacher professionalism, provide more platforms and opportunities for professional development, and assist normal university students in continuously improving their professional competence and teaching abilities.
3. Exploration of the Pathways to Enhance Comprehensive Qualities of Normal University Students
3.1. Construction of a Comprehensive Quality Cultivation Model Based on Development-Oriented Funding
Based on the developmental funding, a comprehensive development model should balance the emphasis on academic training, practical experience, holistic development, leadership development, and social engagement to comprehensively enhance the academic level, educational abilities, overall qualities, and social participation of normal university students, making them outstanding educational professionals.
1) Academic training: Developmental funding should prioritize the academic training of normal university students by providing specialized academic courses and training to help them acquire theoretical knowledge in disciplines such as education, psychology, and pedagogy. Additionally, encouraging their participation in academic research and exchanges cultivates their innovative thinking and research abilities.
2) Practical experience: Developmental funding should provide ample opportunities for educational practice, enabling normal university students to exercise and demonstrate their teaching abilities in real-life classroom settings. This includes internships, social practice, educational projects, and other practical activities that, through reflection and guidance, help them continuously improve and enhance the quality of their teaching.
3) Holistic development: Developmental funding should focus on the holistic development of normal university students, including interpersonal skills, leadership, innovation, and the spirit of teamwork. Through team projects, social practice, volunteer services, and other activities, their comprehensive abilities and soft skills are cultivated, equipping them with the capacity and qualities for overall development.
4) Leadership development: Developmental funding should encourage the development of leadership in normal university students by providing leadership training and practical opportunities to cultivate their leadership and organizational management capabilities. This helps them play their leadership roles to the fullest in future educational work, promoting educational reform and development.
5) Social engagement: Developmental funding should encourage active social involvement and participation in public welfare activities, cultivating their sense of social responsibility and engagement. By participating in social projects, volunteer services, and other activities, normal university students can better serve society, enhancing their social engagement and civic consciousness.
3.2. The Balance between Self-Development and Comprehensive Cultivation of Teacher Education Students
The self-development and comprehensive cultivation of normal students can be achieved through a balance in self-planning, diverse learning, practical experience, self-reflection, and personal well-being. By correctly understanding their needs and challenges, effectively allocating time and resources, and integrating self-development with comprehensive cultivation, they can have a more comprehensive growth and development in the field of education.
1) Self-planning: Normal students need to have clear plans and goals for their self-development and comprehensive cultivation. They can formulate personal development plans to clarify their short-term and long-term goals, as well as the professional skills and qualities they need to improve. In their plans, they should consider their interests, strengths, and development needs, and arrange their time and resources reasonably so that they can develop comprehensively while also delving deep into their professional field.
2) Diverse learning: Normal students can broaden their academic horizons and knowledge by actively participating in various educational activities and training courses. In addition to their major subjects, they can also pay attention to learning in related fields such as educational research, educational psychology, and educational technology. They can also participate in non-disciplinary activities such as cultural arts and sports to develop their comprehensive qualities and personal interests.
3) Practical experience: Practice is an important way for normal students to develop comprehensively. They can actively participate in and organize teaching internships, social practices, educational projects, and other practical activities to improve their teaching skills and practical experience through practical operations and reflection. In addition, they can also actively participate in volunteer services, social organizations, and other social practice activities to cultivate their leadership abilities and teamwork spirit.
4) Self-reflection: Normal students should continuously engage in self-reflection to evaluate their growth and development. Through reflection, they can identify their strengths and weaknesses and find areas that need improvement. At the same time, they can also seek feedback and guidance from others to make timely adjustments to their learning and development directions and maintain a good state of balanced development.
5) Personal well-being and psychological balance: While cultivating comprehensively, normal students also need to pay attention to their physical and mental health. They should schedule their study and rest time reasonably, maintain good habits, and cultivate their emotional management and stress adjustment abilities. By taking care of their physical health and psychological balance, they can better engage in learning and development activities.
3.3. Exploration of Methods to Foster Innovative Consciousness and Practical Abilities of Normal University Students
Cultivating the innovation consciousness and practical ability of normal students requires various forms of support such as offering innovative education courses, providing innovative practice platforms, mentor guidance, interdisciplinary collaboration, and training. Through exploration and practice, these methods can enhance the innovation consciousness and practical ability of normal students, cultivate their spirit and capability of educational innovation, and contribute to the reform and innovation in the field of education.
1) Offering innovative education courses: By offering innovative education courses, innovative theories, methods, and practices can be integrated into the learning and teaching process of normal students. Such courses can help normal students understand the basic concepts and principles of innovation, cultivate innovative thinking and methods, and provide practical innovation projects and cases for normal students to practice and explore.
2) Innovative practice platforms: Establishing innovative practice platforms provides normal students with practical opportunities for innovation. This can include innovation laboratories, social innovation projects, research projects, etc. Through participating in innovative practices, normal students can enhance their practical ability, learn to collaborate with others, and develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills.
3) Mentor guidance: Providing mentor guidance to normal students helps them experience the methods and strategies of innovative education in educational practices. Mentors can assist normal students in understanding the significance of innovation and the challenges in practice, offer practical advice and guidance, and motivate the development of their innovative ability.
4) Interdisciplinary collaboration: Encourage normal students to participate in interdisciplinary collaborative projects. Interdisciplinary collaboration can promote knowledge exchange and integration across different disciplines, stimulate normal students’ thinking and innovative abilities in various fields. Through collaborating with students and teachers from other disciplines, normal students can learn different perspectives and methods, broaden their horizons and thinking.
5) Training and workshops: Provide innovative training and workshops for normal students to learn innovative tools, techniques, and methods. Training may include design thinking, team-building, problem-solving, etc. Additionally, organizing innovation competitions and activities can ignite the enthusiasm and further develop the practical abilities of normal students in innovation.
3.4. Establishing an Appropriate Learning Environment and Incentive Mechanism
By creating a supportive learning environment and incentive mechanisms, we can foster an environment that supports the development of innovation consciousness and practical abilities in normal students. Normal students can fully unleash their creativity and potential, practice their innovative projects, and enhance their innovation capabilities in a positive learning atmosphere.
1) Cultivating a positive learning atmosphere: Provide normal students with a positive and open learning atmosphere that encourages them to showcase and share their innovative ideas and practical experiences. This can be done through organizing innovation sharing sessions, roundtable discussions, academic exchanges, etc., allowing normal students to learn from and inspire each other.
2) Providing excellent learning resources: Offer abundant learning resources, including libraries, academic journals, electronic resources, etc., to support normal students in acquiring the latest research and innovative practices in the field of education. These resources can stimulate their innovative thinking and practical abilities.
3) Establishing innovation laboratories and studios: Create suitable learning environments by setting up innovation laboratories and studios for normal students. These venues can provide spaces and facilities for their practical activities and also facilitate interaction and collaboration among normal students to collectively explore and solve problems.
4) Providing mentor guidance and feedback: Assign mentors or teaching guides to normal students and provide individual guidance and feedback. Mentors can help normal students plan, implement, and evaluate their innovative projects, guiding them in developing innovative thinking and practical abilities through hands-on experience.
5) Designing incentive mechanisms: Establish incentive mechanisms to inspire normal students’ motivation for innovation. This can include setting up reward systems to recognize outstanding innovative projects and achievements. Additionally, offering credits, certificates, or academic honors to normal students can encourage them to achieve outstanding accomplishments in the field of innovation.
6) Organizing innovation competitions and challenges: Organize innovation competitions and challenges to encourage normal students to participate in innovative projects and practical activities. Through competitions and challenges, normal students’ competitive awareness and innovation potential can be stimulated, providing opportunities for them to showcase their innovative achievements.
Normal students are an important force in cultivating outstanding talents for the next generation, and enhancing their comprehensive qualities is not only of significant importance to their individual development but also a fundamental mission of the education sector. Through exploring paths under the context of developmental funding, we can promote the improvement of the comprehensive qualities of normal students and provide solid support for the continuous flow of high-quality educational resources.
4. Conclusion
This article presents a comprehensive analysis and exploration of relevant theories and practices and proposes paths for building a comprehensive quality cultivation model based on developmental funding, achieving a balance between self-development and all-round cultivation of normal students, exploring methods for cultivating their innovation consciousness and practical abilities, and creating suitable learning environments and incentive mechanisms. It aims to continuously enhance the comprehensive qualities of normal students in the context of developmental funding.
Funding Support
The 2022 Jiangsu Provincial Specialized Research Project on Philosophy and Social Science in Jiangsu Universities “Research on the Path to Enhancing Comprehensive Qualities of Normal University Students from the Perspective of Development-Oriented Funding”.