Building Excellence in Ideological and Political Education: Evidence from China's National First-Class Undergraduate Courses

This study analyzes 210 outstanding teachers from China’s National First-Class Undergraduate Courses to identify characteristics and development pathways for excellence in ideological-political education. Empirical data reveals key group features: balanced gender distribution (52.4% female), senior-dominated age structure (89.9% aged 41–60), and doctoral prevalence (78.8%). Regional disparities show Eastern/Northern China accounting for 50.5% of faculty, while disciplinary backgrounds concentrate in Law (59.5%), Philosophy (15.0%), and History (8.5%). Teaching practices emphasize team instruction (94.3%) and high social-practical course representation (11.4%). Research excellence is evidenced by 48.6% securing National Social Science Foundation grants and 70% publishing >5 high-level papers. Critical challenges include succession risks (only 6.2% under age 40), regional imbalances, and limited international exposure (13.8%). To address these, we propose a five-path framework: (1) youth capacity building, (2) Western-region equity policies, (3) integrated training systems, (4) expanded teaching recognition, and (5) research-teaching synergy. Successful implementation requires scaling competitive teaching exhibitions, strengthening Marxist theory doctoral pipelines, and leveraging National Key Marxist Colleges’ demonstration effects. These strategies advance curriculum-centered faculty development for new-era ideological education aligned with China’s higher education modernization goals.