A participating approach to managing responsibility education for primary school students – a suitable approach in the context of current educational reform

Abstract

Responsibility is identified as one of the five core qualities that need to be developed in students. At the primary school level, responsibility education is of particular significance, as this is the foundational stage for the formation of personality and social behavior habits. In practice, the management of responsibility education in primary schools has achieved initial results through learning activities, experiences, and group activities. However, the management approach remains heavily bureaucratic, one-sided, and lacks mechanisms to promote genuine participation from students, parents, and the community, resulting in unsustainable educational effectiveness. Based on an analysis of the theoretical and practical foundations of the participatory approach in managing character and responsibility education, this paper identifies the specific roles of each educational force – students, teachers, schools, families, and the community – in implementing the participatory approach. It also proposes a system of solutions: building democratic mechanisms in the classroom, developing experiential activities linked to the community, strengthening coordination between schools, families, and society, and improving support policies from the macro-level management. The research results affirm that managing character and responsibility education through a participatory approach not only contributes to improving the effectiveness of character development for primary school students but is also a crucial condition for realizing the goal of holistic human development in the current educational reform period.