A Survey Study on Perceived Problems in Chinese Literature Courses and Willingness for Teaching Reform among Chinese Language and Literature Majors at a University in Guangxi, China: A Baseline Needs Assessment for Subsequent Course Development

Abstract

Background and Aims: Previous research on Chinese literature teaching reform has examined instructional practices, course design, and reform implementation, but the studies reviewed do not directly provide baseline data on the specific problems perceived by the students involved in the present course-development context. Drawing on a student voice perspective, this study aimed to describe students’ learning experiences in Chinese literature courses, identify the major problems they perceived, assess their overall willingness for teaching reform, and summarize the specific reform suggestions provided in their open-ended responses.

Methodology: This study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional, single-institution baseline needs-assessment survey design. A total of 102 third-year students from two Chinese Language and Literature classes at a public university in Guangxi, China, were invited to participate voluntarily. A total of 90 submissions could be matched to the class rosters. Eleven students submitted the questionnaire more than once to supplement or clarify open-ended responses. During data cleaning, each student’s most recent complete closed-ended responses were retained, while confirmed supplementary open-ended responses were merged at the participant level. After cleaning, 78 students were included in the final analysis. Frequencies and percentages were used for the closed-ended responses, and the written responses to Q4 and Q6 were analyzed by the first author using conventional inductive qualitative content analysis.

Results: Among the 78 participants, 75 (96.2%) reported that the Chinese literature courses they had experienced were primarily teacher-led, 67 (85.9%) indicated that their learning of traditional Chinese literature relied mainly on textual reading, and 63 (80.8%) experienced difficulty understanding the courses at least some of the time. Among the 68 participants who provided substantive responses about current problems, the most frequently identified issues were the disconnect between theory and practice or lack of practical relevance (42.6%), monotonous teaching methods or textbook-bound instruction (36.8%), and boring content or lack of interest (32.4%). In addition, 69 participants (88.5%) expressed an overall willingness for reform, 9 (11.5%) remained neutral, and none indicated that they did not want reform. However, only 11 participants provided specific reform suggestions.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that students in these two classes perceived problems across multiple aspects of Chinese literature education and that overall willingness for reform was considerably more common than the provision of specific reform proposals. Further interviews with students, teachers, and experts are therefore needed to clarify course needs before a course design is developed and piloted. The findings are limited to the two participating classes and should not be generalized to other institutions or interpreted as evidence for the effectiveness of any specific reform approach