Exploring strategies, challenges, and development prospects of labor education in a Chinese University: A qualitative inquiry for curricular enhancement

Abstract

This qualitative study explored labor education in a Chinese university, focusing on implementation strategies, challenges, development prospects, and curricular enhancement. Adopting a case study approach, semi- structured interviews were conducted with 9 participants, including administrators, teachers, sophomores, and alumni. The findings indicated that current strategies encompass compulsory courses with theoretical and practical components, extracurricular activities like "Labor Week," and diversified evaluation systems combining process and summative assessments. However, prominent challenges existed: homogenized curricula lacking discipline-specific design, a disconnect between theory and practice, insufficient professional faculty, inadequate facilities (especially for liberal arts students), and fragmented administrative support. Addressing these requires differentiated curriculum design, integration of theory with practice, faculty training, facility upgrade, and strengthened collaboration among departments, enterprises, and alumni. Enhancing labor education is crucial in fostering students’ labor skills and professional ethics, with prospects in digital applications, interdisciplinary integration, and policy-driven development. This study provided empirical insights for optimizing labor education curricula and promoting its high-quality implementation.