“Project-driven” pedagogical reform and implementation in sheep and goat production course

Sheep and Goat Production course is a specialized course for students majoring in animal science, and it aimed at cultivating talents to meet the needs of the modern sheep farming industry. To address issues such as outdated teaching models, a disconnect between teaching content and industry needs, and insufficient integration with social development, the College of Animal Sciences at South China Agricultural University has established a project-driven teaching model centered on student development, which aligned with the philosophy of fostering moral integrity and training new agricultural talents. This model drives students to actively explore and learn through real projects, enabling them to apply theoretical knowledge in practice and enhance their comprehensive abilities and innovative thinking. The project-driven teaching model emphasizes the integration of education and industry and deepens the incorporation of rural revitalization and ecological civilization concepts, providing comprehensive support for the development of knowledge, skills, and qualities. Through this reform, the effectiveness of the Sheep and Goat Production course in cultivating the comprehensive qualities of students has been significantly enhanced. In the past five years, the outcomes comprise guiding of undergraduate students to publish six papers, participate in five innovation and entrepreneurship training projects, and compete in five innovation and entrepreneurship competitions. Additionally, some graduates have started their own businesses in the sheep and goat farming industry. The establishment of five industry-university-research platforms and practical teaching bases has promoted school-enterprise cooperation, further improving course development. The project-driven teaching model for the Sheep and Goat Production course can serve as a reference for the teaching of other animal production-related courses that are closely connected to the industry.