A Pathway Analysis of Chinese Art and Design Educators’ Participation in Career Planning Courses Empowered by Social Media Platforms

Abstract

Against the backdrop of rapid digital media development, social media has increasingly become a pivotal platform in higher education, profoundly influencing art and design instructors’ engagement in career planning education. This paper examines the transformation of roles and practical approaches of art and design teachers in universities participating in career planning courses empowered by social media. The study aims to explore participation mechanisms and propose optimization strategies. Utilizing literature review and interview methods, the research systematically summarizes the theoretical foundations of social media-enabled education and identifies three typical models of teacher participation: knowledge dissemination, interactive guidance, and resource linking. The operational mechanisms and practical outcomes of these models are analyzed in depth. The findings indicate that social media broadens the ways in which teachers engage in career guidance, enhancing the interactivity, relevance, and effectiveness of such courses. However, challenges remain, including fragmented content, insufficient depth of interaction, and lack of institutional support. Accordingly, this paper proposes targeted recommendations such as strengthening content system development, improving incentive mechanisms, and enhancing teachers media literacy to promote the high-quality development of career planning education.