Contextual and constructive learning
Pramila Kudva
There are many teachers who still use the conventional method of teaching – the chalk and talk. It is a relatively easy method to use, but the learning that takes place through this technique is perhaps minimal. Teachers cannot hold the attention of students for long. In view of this, educationists around the globe are constantly searching for newer techniques that lead to holistic learning. One of them is contextual learning.
Contextual learning takes place when a context is presented to the students. The dictionary defines a context as the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect. For example, the word, “read” can have two different meanings depending on the words that follow or precede it.
• The gentleman is a well-read person.
• The book needs to be read.
When teachers present information to the students in such a way that each student is able to derive meaning from it based on their experiences, it can be referred to as contextual learning.
There are many other terms used to describe contextual learning including:
• Hands-on experience
• Active learning
• Integrated learning
• Project-based learning
• Applied learning
Contextual learning is based on the constructivist theory of teaching and learning. The constructivist teacher provides techniques such as problem-solving, learning by doing and inquiry-based learning activities. The teacher helps the students test their ideas, draw conclusions and inferences in a collaborative learning environment. Constructivism transforms the student from a passive recipient of information to an active participant in the learning process.
What is the difference between a traditional classroom and a constructivist classroom?
| Traditional classroom | Constructivist classroom |
|---|---|
| Strict adherence to fixed curriculum is highly valued. | Pursuit of student questions and interests is valued. |
| Learning is based on repetition. | Learning is interactive, building on what the student already knows. |
| Teachers disseminate information to students; students are recipients of knowledge. | Teachers have a dialogue with students helping them construct their own knowledge. |
| Teacher’s role is directive, rooted in authority. | Teacher’s role is interactive, rooted in negotiation. |
| Students primarily work alone. | Students work collaboratively. |
| Knowledge is seen as inert. | Knowledge is seen as dynamic, ever-changing. |
Constructivist theory of teaching and learning – CTL
Constructivism is fundamentally a theory based on observation and scientific study about how people learn. There are two kinds of constructivism: cognitive and social. Cognitive constructivism was propounded by Swiss biologist and psychologist Jean Piaget. According to him, children save their knowledge as ‘schemas’ which contain all the knowledge, relationships, descriptors, experiences and memories. The learning happens by way of assimilation and accommodation. For example, a child sees a zebra for the first time and calls it a horse. The child assimilates this information into his/her idea of a horse. When the child accommodates information, she takes into consideration the differences between a zebra and a horse and calls a zebra a horse with stripes. When she eventually learns the name, zebra, she has accommodated this information.*
Social constructivism was propounded by Vygotsky who emphasized the role of language and culture in cognitive development. He said that both language and culture play essential roles in human intellectual development and in how humans perceive the world. Therefore, to be effective, a teacher must help the student in discovering his or her own meaning.
The contextual aspect of CTL embraces the proposition that learning should take place in many sites, or multiple contexts, not just in classrooms.
Planning CTL
It helps to use the ‘GRASPS’# concept wheel while planning performance assessment tasks.
G – Goal – Establish the goal, problem, challenge, or obstacle in the task, the purpose of the task.
R – Role – Defi ne the role of the students in the task – for instance is it going to be collaborative learning, pair work, group work, etc. – make the groups/permit them to form groups.
A – Audience – Identify the target audience – to whom the task is directed – to which grade.
S – Situation – Explain the situation – Inform the students what is given and what they need to research and how they need to present it. What should be the material used, what would be the font size of the written matter, how many pages it should be, etc.
P – Product – Clarify to the students what they will create and why they will create it. If it is a project/assignment – why they would create it/what it should look like.
S – Standards – Provide students with specific criteria for assessment. Content, presentation – written and oral and so on.
Some techniques of contextual learning are:
A few examples of contextual learning:
Set 1 – Upper primary
Green revolution and geography
• Design a project on ‘Agriculture and its importance in India’. – group work.
Green revolution and environmental science
• Write a dialogue between you and a farmer highlighting the need for organic products in India.
• Green revolution renders the soil infertile. Discuss – debate.
Green revolution and civics
• Make a PPT on the various programmes and policies of the Government of India to ensure food security in India – pair work.
Green revolution and mathematics
• Prepare a scrapbook representing the statistics of agriculture in India since 1960 using statistical tools like bar charts, pie diagrams, graphs. Research can be used as flipped learning content.
Green revolution and science
• Pest control – Its advantages and disadvantages – project work.
Set 2 – Primary
Insects and science
• Which is the most industrious insect? What is the learning for human beings from this? – role play.
Insects and geography
• Which are the insects that are native to the region? – Field trip, research and PPT – pair work/group work.
Insects and literature
• Descriptive essays on the ant colonies – highlighting the work values, story writing.
Insects and life skills
• Co-operative living, team work, industriousness – project work.
CTL gives meaning to learning and helps students retain concepts better. A varying stimulus by way of different techniques and collaborative learning maintains the interest and curiosity levels of the students.
*www.morganparkcps.enschool.org, Examples of Piagetian Assimilation and Accommodation
#Adapted From Wiggins, Grant and Jay McTighe. Understanding by Design Professional Development Workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 2004. March 2011.
The author is Principal, Pawar Public School Kandivali-West. She can be reached at principal@ppskandivali.com.
