CONTEXTUAL TEACHING
AND LEARNING:
WHAT IT IS, WHY IT WORKS, AND HOW IT IS DONE
CONNECTING CONTENT TO CONTEXT
• As defined by Elaine Johnson in her book Contextual Teaching
and Learning, contextual teaching and learning (CTL) is “a
system of instruction based on the philosophy that students
learn when they see meaning in academic material, and they
see meaning in schoolwork when they can connect new
information with prior knowledge and their own experience”
(Johnson, 2002. p. vii).
• In other words, CTL aims to enhance student learning by
connecting academic content to the context of their personal
knowledge, experiences, and interests.
• Advocates of CTL assert that connecting academic content
to students’ lives leads to enhanced memory and enhanced
understanding of the subject matter of any academic
discipline.
Elaine B. Johnson, Ph.D.
THEORETICAL RATIONALE
A. Nature is interdependent. Nothing in the universe exists or
functions in isolation.
B.
Because humans live in a world of interdependence, “learning”
is essentially the process of discovering how concepts relate to
each other.
C. If A and B are true, then it can be concluded that the only way
new, unfamiliar concepts can truly be understood is by
discovering how they relate to old, familiar concepts.
D. Therefore, connecting new, unfamiliar academic content to
the old, familiar context of students’ knowledge and
experiences should enhance their memory and understanding
for the things we are trying to teach them.
THE COMPATIBILITY OF CTL
AND HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
• Johnson (2002) asserts that CTL is compatible with how the
brain naturally develops.
• As sensory information about the physical environment
reaches the brain, different parts of the brain work together to
process the information. New synaptic connections between
neurons are formed…thus creating “brain development.”
• The more different parts of the brain work together to process
information, the more brain development occurs.
• Therefore, CTL’s focus on making connections between
content and context promotes brain development in a very
literal sense! CTL results in a greater number of synaptic
connections between neurons.
THE EIGHT COMPONENTS OF CTL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Making meaningful connections
Doing significant work
Self-regulated learning
Collaborating
Critical and creative thinking
Nurturing the individual
Reaching high standards
Using authentic assessment
MAKING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
• When students see how the content of a course in
mathematics, science, history, or literature relates to their own
experiences and interests, they begin to find the information
meaningful…and this gives them a reason for learning it.
• Thus, in addition to its beneficial effects on memory and
understanding, CTL enhances motivation.
• Examples:
a)In a social problems class, students could create a project
examining a controversial issue in their community.
b)In a psychology class, students could write a paper on their
personality, values, and developmental history, with the
requirement that they make appropriate connections with
concepts from the textbook.
DOING SIGNIFICANT WORK
• Doing significant work involves doing things that seem
important, practical, or useful.
• What a student views as significant will be somewhat
dependent on that student’s personal goals, values, and
interests.
• When students view work as significant, they find it more
meaningful and are more invested in it. Thus, memory,
understanding, and motivation are enhanced.
• Examples:
a)In a writing class, students could work on creating impressive,
professional cover letters and resumes.
b)In a business class, students could create and operate a store
in which they sell a product to the public.
SELF-REGULATED LEARNING
• Self-regulated learning involves empowering students to make
their own decisions and accept responsibility for them.
• In recognition of the fact that different students have different
goals, interests, and learning styles, CTL allows students to
“customize” their work as opposed to insisting that everybody
do exactly the same thing.
• Example:
Instead of requiring all students in an interpersonal psychology
class to write a paper on ways to improve their
communication skills, students could develop a project
addressing any relevant interpersonal skill. They could present
their action plan with a traditional paper, a PowerPoint
presentation, or a live demonstration.
COLLABORATING
Human are social creatures. Research shows that normal
human development is dependent on exposure to social
interaction during infancy and early childhood, and that the
progress of the human species usually requires a group effort.
• Conceptual understanding improves significantly when we
have the opportunity to discuss academic content with
others, compare notes, and build on each other’s ideas.
• Therefore, CTL recommends the use of collaboration as a
way to add meaning and significance to academic work.
• Examples:
a) An instructor with a background in social work could
collaborate with an instructor with a background in clinical
psychology to teach an abnormal psychology class.
b) Two or three students in a chemistry class could collaborate
to develop a relevant science project.
•
CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING
According to Johnson (2002), “critical thinking is a systematic
process that enables students to formulate and evaluate
their own beliefs and claims” (p. 101). It allows students to
say “This idea is a good one because it is supported by sound
reasoning.”
• Johnson (2002) describes creative thinking as a characteristic
of people who have “the power to imagine possibilities…and
to see things that the rest of us overlook” (p. 116).
• Critical and creative thinking complement each other, and
both can play an important role in CTL.
• Examples (both from Johnson, 2002):
a) The creative mind designs a costume for the school play,
while the critical mind ensures that it is well-made.
b) The creative mind discovers a new way to feed the
homeless, while the critical mind studies the idea’s feasibility.
•
NURTURING THE INDIVIDUAL
• CTL asserts that all students who have seen the connection
between academic content and the context of their
personal knowledge, experiences, and interests have a very
high potential to learn the subject matter of any academic
discipline.
• However, helping students achieve this potential requires an
understanding of their different backgrounds, knowledge
levels, interests, and learning styles.
• What enhances memory, understanding, and motivation for
one student will not necessarily work for another student.
• Therefore, teachers need to take the time to get to know and
provide a nurturing environment for every student.
REACHING HIGH STANDARDS
• In today’s world, nearly half of all available jobs require at
least some postsecondary education (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2007).
• Modern American workers need to have good reading skills,
good writing skills, good speaking skills, and good computer
skills.
• Across most professions, employers are looking for people who
can think critically and creatively.
• Therefore, asking too little of students “reveals a callous
disregard for their latent potential and future well-being”
(Johnson, 2002, p. 150).
• Because CTL enhances student memory, understanding, and
motivation, it may be a viable method for “raising the bar” of
our expectations for students without creating a significant
increase in student dropout rates.
USING AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
Authentic assessment is a way of evaluating students by
assessing their ability to apply knowledge and skills to the
types of situations that they are likely to encounter in the
“real-world” (i.e., outside of the college environment).
• Authentic assessment is an appealing alternative to
standardized end-of-grade tests or college exit
examinations, because unlike those methods, authentic
assessment actually requires students to demonstrate that
they have the skills necessary to do the things that their jobs
will require.
• Examples:
a) The evaluation of an education student’s performance as a
student teacher, or
b) The evaluation of a piano student’s performance in a recital.
•