Contextual teaching and learning as a framework of six fundamental characteristics¶

Design · All designs
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article adopts contextual teaching and learning as its theoretical framework, defined as teaching that enables pupils to "employ their academic understandings and abilities in a variety of in – and out –of–school contexts to solve simulated or real –world problems". The framework comprises six fundamental characteristics: problem-based curriculum, multiple contexts, self-regulated learning, anchoring in students' life contexts, authentic assessment, and interdependent learning groups. These characteristics were used to develop the curriculum and assessment materials for the experimental treatment.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

Curriculum and assessment materials must be designed with the fundamental characteristics of contextual teaching and learning in mind, as the article's experimental treatment did

Constraints¶

The framework was applied here to a postsecondary distance-education agricultural biotechnology course; the article notes few studies have focused on teaching science in the context of agriculture at the postsecondary level

Target Learners¶

postsecondary students in agricultural and life sciences courses

Learning Goals¶

mastery of scientific concepts related to agricultural biotechnology
application of scientific information in contextual settings

Claims¶

Learning experience design (LXD) as a learner-centered, goal-oriented, interdisciplinary course design framework

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

Curry, Wilson, Flowers, & Farin. (2012). Scientific Basis vs. Contextualized Teaching and Learning: The Effect on the Achievement of Postsecondary Students. Journal of Agricultural Education. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2012.01057

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`design`
`id`	`ctl-six-fundamental-characteristics-framework`
`title`	`Contextual teaching and learning as a framework of six fundamental characteristics`
`description`	`The article adopts contextual teaching and learning as its theoretical framework, defined as teaching that enables pupils to "employ their academic understandings and abilities in a variety of in – and out –of–school...`
`status`	`review`
`generated`	by `process:settle-candidates` on `2026-11-01`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `curry-2012`

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