Political Work

The "Five-Step Method" for Accurately Grasping Trainees' "Living Thoughts" and Refining the "Granularity" of Education

“五步法”准确掌握学员“活思想”，细化教育“颗粒度”

PLA Daily (解放军报) 26 May 2026

Summary

A brigade of the Zhengzhou Campus of the Army Arms University has institutionalized a 'Five-Step Method' for surveying trainees' 活思想 ('living thoughts'—current ideological state) across its mixed-level training classes, using layered talk formats and cross-cohort comparative analysis to tailor political education separately to non-commissioned officer and active-duty officer trainees. This is standard political work content from a professional military education institution; its value is as a record of how the PLA frames the granularity problem in ideological education—specifically, the tension between running standardized political curricula and reaching trainees whose backgrounds, ranks, and career stages differ substantially.

Translation

A Certain Brigade of the Zhengzhou Campus, Army Arms University——

The "Five-Step Method" Refines the "Granularity" of Education

■ PLA Daily Reporter Liu Wei

"Breakthroughs in training and improvements in performance stem from the courage to press forward in the face of difficulty and the tenacity to keep fighting through obstacles…" In early summer, a certain brigade of the Zhengzhou Campus of the Army Arms University organized an ideological and political education class. Political instructor Liao Yang spoke with feeling about the growth stories of several outstanding graduating trainees who had striven hard and broken free of their cocoons, striking a powerful chord among new trainees.

The brigade's leadership introduced that, in response to the unit's own characteristics of running many training classes with trainees spanning a wide range of levels, they have explored and developed a "Five-Step Method" for investigating trainees' ideological conditions. The five steps are: "lay the foundation by grasping basic conditions; conduct flexible and in-depth investigations to seek truth; accurately compile, analyze, and assess findings; design education targeting identified problems; and follow through with dynamic adjustments throughout the entire process." This method accurately grasps trainees' "living thoughts (活思想)" and refines the "granularity (颗粒度)" of ideological and political education, laying a solid foundation for enhancing the quality and effectiveness of education.

The reporter learned that each time new trainees arrive and check in, the brigade immediately surveys trainees' basic conditions. Following the approach of "seize the middle majority, focus attention on the two ends," they sketch an overall "profile" of trainees in each class. Through methods such as a "collective talk" in the first class of the semester, "focused talks" at joint teaching meetings, "precise talks" at company backbone meetings, "open talks" at platoon and squad affairs meetings, and "individual talks" by trainee company cadres, they conduct progressively deeper heart-to-heart conversations with trainees. Combined with the ideological characteristics and real-world difficulties of trainees in different classes, they conduct questionnaire surveys across each trainee company to grasp trainees' true ideological baseline, real-world confusions, and personal needs.

"By making horizontal comparisons across different classes and vertical comparisons across different cohorts, we accurately set up the 'targets' of trainees' real-world ideological problems, providing a strong basis for enhancing the quality and effectiveness of education." Han Junqian, the company commander of a certain trainee company in the brigade, told the reporter that after a new cohort of trainees enrolled, their research found that one-third of the trainees lacked confidence in their ability to keep up with the pace of study and training because they had never previously encountered the specialty they were about to study. In response, they proactively coordinated with the relevant organs and specialty departments (系（室）), arranging for instructors to conduct remedial and reinforcement training for everyone.

The reporter reviewed the brigade's spring semester ideological and political education plan and found that, following the approach of "the brigade teaches large classes, trainee companies teach small classes, and trainees teach micro-classes," they flexibly carry out "targeted (靶向式)" education tailored to the characteristics of trainees in different classes. For non-commissioned officer (军士) trainees, the focus is on content such as the mission and responsibilities of servicemembers and the cultivation of combat spirit (战斗精神), with emphasis on building work style, strengthening professional foundations, and shaping ideological outlook. For active-duty officer trainees, the focus is on education modules such as purifying Party spirit (提纯党性) and taking responsibility and acting decisively (担当作为), with emphasis on actual combat requirements and efforts to resolve questions such as "what to study in the classroom and how to apply it upon return."

Beyond content, they adopt different educational methods based on the characteristics of different trainees. For non-commissioned officer trainees, interactive education is used more frequently to enhance classroom appeal. For active-duty officer trainees, the emphasis is on discussion-based education; through activities such as organizing "grassroots problem diagnosis sessions" and "troop management experience sharing," trainees are gradually shifted from "listening below the stage" to "speaking on the stage," enhancing the targeted nature and practical effectiveness of education.

"The finer the granularity, the better the teaching results." The brigade's leadership introduced that in the next phase, they will continue to optimize the "Five-Step Method" for investigating trainees' ideological conditions, and will keep driving ideological and political education to uphold the correct path while innovating, and to be carried out in a substantive and thorough manner (守正创新、走实走深).

Original Chinese

陆军兵种大学郑州校区某大队—— “五步法”细化教育“颗粒度” ■解放军报记者刘伟 “训练的突破、成绩的提升，源自迎难而上的勇气和持续攻坚的韧劲……”初夏时节，陆军兵种大学郑州校区某大队组织一堂思想政治教育课，政治教员廖杨动情讲述几名优秀毕业学员拼搏奋进、破茧成蝶的成长故事，在新学员中引起强烈共鸣。该大队领导介绍，他们针对自身承训班次多、学员层级跨度大的特点，探索创新出以“掌握基本情况打底、灵活深入调查求真、精准整理分析研判、针对问题设计教育、动态调整全程跟进”为主要内容的学员思想调查“五步法”，准确掌握学员“活思想”，细化思想政治教育“颗粒度”，为增强教育质效打下坚实基础。记者了解到，每次新学员入学报到后，该大队都会第一时间摸排学员基本情况，按照“抓住中间主体、重点关注两端”的思路，绘出不同班次学员的总体“轮廓”；通过开学第一课“集体谈”、教学联席会“重点谈”、中队骨干会“精准谈”、区队班务会“敞开谈”、学员队干部“逐个谈”等方式，与学员展开逐步深入的谈心交心；结合不同班次学员思想特点和现实难题，在各学员队展开问卷调查，掌握学员真实思想底数、现实困惑和个人诉求。 “通过不同班次横向比、不同届别纵向比，我们精准立起学员现实思想问题‘靶子’，为增强教育质效提供了有力依据。”该大队某学员队队长韩君谦告诉记者，新一批学员入学后，他们通过调研发现，三分之一的学员因为此前从没接触过即将进修的专业，对能否跟上学习训练进度信心不足。为此，他们主动对接机关和专业系（室），安排教员为大家进行补差强化训练。记者翻阅该大队春季学期思想政治教育计划发现，他们按照“大队讲大课、学员队讲小课、学员讲微课”的思路，结合不同班次学员特点灵活开展“靶向式”教育——针对军士学员，重点设置军人使命责任、战斗精神培育等内容，抓作风养成、抓专业基础、抓思想塑形；针对现职军官学员，重点设置提纯党性、担当作为等教育模块，突出实战需求，着力解决“课堂学什么、回去怎么干”等问题。除了内容，他们根据不同学员特点采取不同教育方式，针对军士学员，多采取互动式教育，提升课堂吸引力；对现职军官学员，侧重开展研讨式教育，通过组织“基层难题会诊”“带兵经验分享”等活动，让学员从“台下听”逐步变成“台上讲”，提升教育的针对性、实效性。 “颗粒度越细，教学效果越好。”该大队领导介绍，下一步，他们将继续优化学员思想调查“五步法”，不断推动思想政治教育守正创新、走实走深。