The research of ideological and political education involves a wide range, rich in content and diverse in forms, but there are many problems in the research field of ideological and political education. The research in the field of ideological and political education should be based on the research expertise and direction of educators. In order to meet the needs of the development of ideological and political education, we should make clear the key points and difficulties of research. At present, the focus of ideological and political education research is ideological education, patriotism education and ideological and political education in real life. The highest goal of ideological and political education is to guide students to realize their ideal social values, while the realistic goal is to help students solve ideological problems encountered in real life and learn and improve their quality of life. The highest goal and realistic goal of ideological and political education are mutually promoting and interdependent. On the basis of solving practical problems, guide students to work towards higher goals.