A Study on the Application Mechanism of Heart-to-Heart Conversations Conducted by Career-Oriented College Counselors in Ideological and Political Education

Taixin Gao

doi:10.70088/89x4rb20

Authors

Taixin Gao Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology, Haikou, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70088/89x4rb20

Keywords:

vocational education, college counselors, student counseling, ideological education, educational management

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the continuous refinement of the ideological and political education system in universities during the new era, college counselors—acting as the key implementers of student ideological education—play a fundamental and indispensable role in guiding students' thinking, shaping their core values, and correcting their behaviors through dedicated heart-to-heart conversations. Vocational undergraduate education uniquely emphasizes both applied talent cultivation and professional competency enhancement, thereby imposing significantly higher demands for targeted, pragmatic, and highly practical approaches to ideological education. As a highly flexible and personalized educational approach, counselor-led conversations successfully achieve implicit ideological education through deep emotional engagement, proactive psychological counseling, and structured value-oriented guidance. Grounded in the foundational theories of ideological education, interpersonal communication, and modern educational management, this comprehensive study critically analyzes the practical foundations and contemporary challenges of conducting such conversations within vocational undergraduate institutions. Furthermore, it systematically explores their underlying operational mechanisms from a holistic systemic perspective. To address current limitations, this research proposes an innovative operational framework comprising "goal orientation, content stratification, diversified methods, collaborative implementation, and evaluation feedback," alongside actionable optimization strategies. The research ultimately concludes that systematically improving the counseling mechanism substantially enhances the relevance, accessibility, and overall effectiveness of ideological education. This enhancement provides crucial, long-term support for vocational universities in successfully fulfilling their core institutional mission of fostering moral integrity and promoting the holistic development of their student bodies.

References

Y. Wang, "The Construction and Practice of Counselors Heart-to-Heart Talk Mode Based on Satya Iceberg Theory," Journal of Sociology and Education, vol. 2, no. 1, 2026.

D. Yuan and X. Lan, "Collaborative innovation strategy of college students’ mental health education and ideological and political education in the new media era," Psychiatria Danubina, vol. 33, suppl. 8, pp. 515-516, 2021.

L. Bao, *Contemporary E-government in China: Investigating state citizen relations, interactions and power dynamics*, Doctoral dissertation, Cardiff University, 2023.

S. N. Maola, F. Andela, R. A. Salsabila, N. S. Syairani, A. D. Rizqia, and P. M. Afendy, "Modernizing mental health: The role, ethics, and competencies of counseling in the digital age," Journal of Education and Counseling (JECO), pp. 102-116, 2025.

P. Hou, H. Yang, and Z. Wang, "Role clarification and functional deepening of counselors in vocational undergraduate education: Implementation strategies from a student development theory perspective," Journal of Asia Social Science Practice, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 1-24, 2025.

J. Su, "Research on the innovation path of breaking the cocoon effect of ideological and political education information in colleges and universities in the new media era," Adult and Higher Education, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 48-53, 2024.

J. Lau and K. M. Ng, "Effectiveness and relevance of training for international counseling graduates: A qualitative inquiry," International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 87-105, 2012.

X. Wang, "On the role and impact of higher education regulations in the work of counselors in higher vocational colleges," in The First International Symposium on Management and Social Sciences (ISMSS 2019), Atlantis Press, Apr. 2019, pp. 216-220.

R. Chao and G. E. Good, "Nontraditional students' perspectives on college education: A qualitative study," Journal of College Counseling, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 5-12, 2004.

M. Pope, "A brief history of career counseling in the United States," The Career Development Quarterly, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 194-211, 2000.

D. Mayfield, *Finding Martha: Social networks that influence student enrollment into vocational education programs in the community college*, University of Southern California, 2005.

N. Kantamneni, M. R. McCain, N. Shada, M. A. Hellwege, and J. Tate, "Contextual factors in the career development of prospective first-generation college students: An application of social cognitive career theory," Journal of Career Assessment, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 183-196, 2018.

A. J. Sponaugle, Attitudes of guidance counselors regarding vocational education, The Ohio State University, 1972.

N. Acomi, O. Acomi, and R. Iancu, "The role of career counselors in vocational education," Journal of Marine Technology and Environment, vol. 1, pp. 9, 2023.

B. Xie, "Peer counselor training to improve the mental health level of higher vocational college students," Psychiatria Danubina, vol. 33, suppl. 12, pp. 44-44, 2021.