Disciplinary Construction at a Minban Undergraduate Institution in Shandong, China : The Case of University A

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Disciplinary construction serves as the core foundation for the advancement of higher education in China, playing a decisive role in enhancing the quality of educational institutions, the caliber of talent cultivation, and overall competitiveness. Shandong Province holds a pivotal position within China's higher education system. National policies continuously encourage universities in Shandong to pursue high-quality, distinctive disciplinary development, while regional economic transformation driven by the shift from traditional to innovative growth drivers imposes new demands on applied talent cultivation. Additionally, Minban higher education institutions have experienced steady expansion but face practical challenges such as declining student enrollment and quality deficiencies. Against this backdrop, strengthening disciplinary construction capabilities has become an essential measure for the sustainable growth of Minban undergraduate institutions in Shandong Province. To address this, this study introduces exemplary cases and integrates stakeholder theory, incentive theory, and the OBE (Outcomes-Based Education) philosophy to construct a theoretical framework of "driving force–operation–output." It aims to analyze the comprehensive operational models of disciplinary construction at these institutions across three dimensions—driving force, operation, and output—explore pathways for improvement, and summarize best practices, thereby providing valuable insights and references for the high-quality development of Minban undergraduate institutions in Shandong Province. To achieve the aforementioned research objectives, this study conducts targeted investigations focusing on four key questions: 1.What are the specific requirements of disciplinary construction policies for universities in advancing disciplinary construction? How can these policies guide the progress of disciplinary construction at the case university? 2.What aspects are involved in talent cultivation for disciplinary construction at the case university, and how are they implemented? 3.Which departments are required for disciplinary construction at the case university, and how do they operate independently while coordinating with one another? 4.What are the achievements and shortcomings of disciplinary construction at the case university, and what are the underlying causes of these shortcomings? This study employed three primary research methods: case study, interview, and text analysis. First, the case study focused on a Minban undergraduate university located in Weifang City, Shandong Province, China. Through comprehensive analysis of the university's disciplinary construction elements, this study summarized its strengths and weaknesses to propose feasible recommendations for the sustainable advancement of disciplinary construction at other Minban undergraduate institutions in Shandong Province. The interview method involved compiling interview notes based on conversations with 20 selected participants; through thorough and detailed analysis of these notes, the study gained a deep understanding of the actual status of various disciplinary construction elements at the case university. The text analysis method examined policy documents related to disciplinary construction at the national, provincial (Shandong), municipal (Weifang), and institutional levels, as well as various texts on disciplinary development available on the university's official website. By analyzing and summarizing these texts, the study provided a comprehensive overview of the institutional framework for disciplinary construction at the case university. The research findings indicate that in terms of policy guidance, national, provincial, and municipal policies both provide value-oriented direction for Minban undergraduate institution while also exhibiting structural exclusion. Under the guidance of official policies, these universities are progressively establishing and refining their own policy frameworks. Regarding talent cultivation, they have achieved phased progress by focusing on developing application-oriented talents through measures such as program design and adjustment, integration of theoretical knowledge with practical skills, and strengthening support systems. In terms of team and platform development, although these institutions possess systematic organizational structures and well-structured faculty teams, issues such as an imbalance between administrative and academic authority, lack of democratic governance mechanisms, and inadequate team development persist due to imperfect power distribution mechanisms and insufficient commitment to collaborative governance. In conclusion, based on a comprehensive and multi-dimensional analysis of disciplinary construction at the participating universities, this study proposes four feasible recommendations for advancing disciplinary development in Minban undergraduate institutions in Shandong Province, China: enhancing the integrity and systematic nature of policy frameworks to deepen awareness of policy formulation; improving talent cultivation capabilities to establish a "Shandong model" for applied education; strengthening teaching and research team development to address the challenges of high personnel turnover and weak research capacity in Minban universities; and refining disciplinary governance systems to stimulate intrinsic motivation for development. This study provides a systematic summary and in-depth analysis, offering valuable guidance for the sustainable development of disciplinary construction inMinban undergraduate institutions across Shandong Province, China, both theoretically and practically. Naturally, the study also has limitations, including insufficient validation of its findings' applicability to other provinces and a relatively limited sample size.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• CHAPTER1.Introduction 1
• 1.1 Necessity and Purpose of the Research 1
• 1.1.1 Necessity of the study 1
• 1.1.2 Purpose of research 9
• 1.2 Research Questions 10
• CHAPTER2.Theoretical Background 11
• 2.1 Concept Definition 11
• 2.1.1Minban education 11
• 2.1.2Minban higher education 12
• 2.1.3Minban undergraduate higher education 13
• 2.1.4 Discipline 14
• 2.1.5 The construction of the discipline 15
• 2.2 Literature Review. 17
• 2.2.1 Comprehensive research on the development of academic programs in universities 17
• 2.2.2 Research on the development of individual disciplines within the framework of university academic program construction 22
• 2.2.3 Research on the collaborative nature of academic disciplinary construction in universities 27
• 2.2.4 Relevant research on disciplinary construction in Minban higher education institutions 31
• 2.2.5 The fundamental elements of disciplinary construction in higher education institutions in this study. 35
• 2.3 Theoretical Foundation 36
• 2.3.1 Stakeholder theory 36
• 2.3.2 Motivation theories 41
• 2.3.3 Outcomes-Based Education philosophy 46
• 2.4 The Construction of a Theoretical Analysis Framework 49
• 2.4.1 The logical integration of the three theories 50
• 2.4.2 Diagram of the theoretical analysis framework for the "Drive-Run-Output" model 54
• 2.4.3 The correspondence between theoretical analysis frameworks and research questions 55
• CHAPTER3.Method and Methodology 58
• 3.1 Research Method 58
• 3.1.1 Case study method. 58
• 3.1.2 Interview method 62
• 3.1.3 Text analysis method 70
• 3.2 Research Design 71
• 3.2.1 Theoretical analysis framework – research questions – research methods correspondence table 71
• 3.2.2 Data collection 73
• 3.2.2 Data analysis 82
• CHAPTER4.Research Result 1: Policy Guidance for disciplinary construction at University A 85
• 4.1 Policy Guidance for Disciplinary Construction at University A at the National, Provincial, and Municipal Levels 87
• 4.1.1 National-level policy guidance: structural exclusion exists under the orientation of high-quality and distinctive development. 87
• 4.1.2 Policy guidance at the provincial level: providing differentiated support under the framework of the "Shandong Model" 95
• 4.1.3 Policy guidance at the municipal level: The absence of clear policies hinders the development of academic disciplines 101
• 4.2 Policy Development and Analysis at the University Level Regarding Discipline Construction at University A 104
• 4.2.1 Compilation of policy documents regarding the development of academic disciplines at University A. 104
• 4.2.2 Content analysis and construction logic of the university-level disciplinary construction policy documents at university A 108
• CHAPTER5. Research Result 2: The Talent Development System Construction at University A 114
• 5.1 The Establishment and Adjustment of Academic Disciplines and Programs at University A 115
• 5.1.1 Steady progress—in the establishment and adjustment of traditional academic disciplines 116
• 5.1.2 Seeking breakthroughs: establishment and adjustment of emerging disciplines and specialties 120
• 5.2 The Cultivation of Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Skills among Students at University A. 123
• 5.2.1 Cultivation of theoretical knowledge 123
• 5.2.2 Development of practical skills 130
• 5.3 The Construction of a Talent Development Support System at University A 134
• 5.3.1 Construction of the Support System for Discipline and Program Establishment: Comprehensive yet Addressing Internal Issues 134
• 5.3.2 Development of a system for ensuring the cultivation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills 140
• 5.4 Analysis of the Current State of Talent Development at University A Based on Incentive Theory 152
• CHAPTER6. Research Result 3: Team Development and Platform Construction at University A 154
• 6.0 Organizational Structure Diagram for Disciplinary Construction at University A 155
• 6.1 Academic Team Development and Platform Construction at University A 157
• 6.1.1 Academic Committee: The "dual principles" have failed to ensure effective implementation of practical outcomes 158
• 6.1.2 Talent acquisition and cultivation strategies: Well-designed measures but lacking sustained momentum. 162
• 6.1.3 The establishment of academic teams focused primarily on research versus those focused primarily on teaching 168
• 6.2 Administrative Team Development for Disciplinary Construction at University A: Frequent Issues Arise Under the Current System of Centralized Authority 176
• 6.3 Operational Status of the Disciplinary Construction Team at University A: Dual Development Approaches in Both Academic and Administrative Areas 182
• 6.4 Analysis of the Current Status of Team Building at University A Based on Incentive Theory 190
• CHAPTER7. Research Result 4: Achievements and Shortcomings in Disciplinary Construction at University A 192
• 7.1 The Effectiveness of Disciplinary Construction at University A 192
• 7.1.1 The policy documents regarding disciplinary construction closely align with the national, provincial, and municipal policy themes 192
• 7.1.2 The talent cultivation system for academic disciplinary construction is relatively well-established 195
• 7.1.3 The organizational framework for disciplinary construction is well-established 202
• 7.2 Shortcomings in the Disciplinary Construction at University A 203
• 7.2.1 During the process of disciplinary construction, there is an imbalance between administrative power and academic authority 203
• 7.2.2 Lack of talent development policies 205
• 7.2.3 The evaluation mechanism for discipline construction is imperfect 207
• 7.2.4 The democratic nature of academic disciplinary construction has not yet been established 210
• 7.3 Analysis of the Causes of Insufficient Disciplinary Construction at University A 213
• CHAPTER8. Conclusion and Discussion 222
• 8.1 Optimization Suggestions for Disciplinary Construction in Minban Undergraduate Universities in Shandong Province, China 222
• 8.2 The Research Significance, Innovative Aspects, Limitations, and Future Prospects of this Study. 228
• 8.2.1 Research significance 228
• 8.2.2 Innovation point 232
• 8.2.3 Limitations and future prospects 234
• Reference 237
• Appendix 268