The "New Liberal Arts" initiative in China's higher education calls for cultivating composite talents with interdisciplinary knowledge and practical innovation skills. This strategic shift responds to the complex demands of a new technological revolution and evolving societal needs. However, the current practical teaching in applied disciplines like Tourism Management often suffers from knowledge fragmentation, disciplinary silos, and a significant gap between theoretical instruction and real-world application. This inadequacy hampers the development of students' ability to solve complex, multifaceted problems prevalent in the modern tourism industry. This study aims to construct and rigorously evaluate an interdisciplinary practical teaching model, using the "Landscape Ecology" course for Tourism Management majors as a case study. The primary goal is to bridge the theory-practice divide and enhance students' comprehensive analytical abilities, spatial thinking, collaborative problem-solving skills, and sustainability literacy, thereby aligning talent cultivation with the core tenets of the New Liberal Arts. Questionnaire surveys administered to students and faculty, combined with qualitative analysis of student projects and interview data, are used to assess the teaching effectiveness from multiple perspectives. The proposed interdisciplinary practical teaching model, which integrates theory, technology, and project-based learning, demonstrates significant improvements over traditional methods. Quantitative analysis of survey data reveals a statistically significant increase in students' self-perceived competencies in critical thinking, practical application skills, and teamwork capabilities in the experimental group. Student satisfaction and engagement levels were also markedly higher. Qualitative feedback from students and faculty highlights a more dynamic, relevant, and effective learning experience that fosters deeper understanding and innovative thinking. Interdisciplinary practical teaching, guided by the New Liberal Arts concept, is a highly effective pathway for cultivating the innovative and applied talents urgently needed in the Tourism Management field. The "Theory-Technology-Project" (TTP) model proposed in this study offers a valuable, structured, and replicable framework for curriculum reform, not only for landscape ecology but also for other applied humanities and social science disciplines seeking to enhance the quality and relevance of their educational offerings.

Yue Junsheng, Yu Yongchang, Chen Lei, Liu Min, Li Chuanzhang. A Study on Interdisciplinary Practical Teaching for Tourism Management Majors under the New Liberal Arts Concept—A Case Study of the Landscape Ecology Course. Frontiers in Educational Research (2025), Vol. 8, Issue 9: 134-142. https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2025.080921.

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