Integrating Literary Aesthetic Education with Values-Oriented Learning: A Case Study of Zhengde Polytechnic College

Abstract

This paper presents a practical teaching case from a higher vocational college in China. It links classroom instruction with co-curricular activities to integrate literary aesthetic education with values-oriented learning. In this study, values-oriented learning refers to embedding values reflection in learning tasks, with attention to professional responsibility, teamwork, and communication. Drawing on Dewey’s theory of aesthetic experience, the study adopts a qualitative teaching-case design and documents implementation across multiple semesters. Evidence comes from classroom records and lesson plans, co-curricular documentation, and student-produced outputs generated through poetry activities, gratitude-letter writing, World Book Day recitations, and stage-play rehearsals. Several practice patterns are described. In class, multimodal entry, interpretive dialogue, and expressive practice supported students’ engagement with texts and collaborative communication. Co-curricular activities extended interpretation and expression beyond the classroom through sustained practice and traceable artifacts. This exploratory study does not claim causal effects; instead, it offers practice-based insights for higher vocational general education.