Contextual Teaching and Learning in Agricultural Education: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v67i3.3367Keywords:
Agricultural Education, contextual teaching, contextual learning, CTL, literature reviewAbstract
Limited research has been conducted on contextual teaching and learning (CTL) in agricultural education since it was officially coined in 1998. The founding authors intended CTL to be transdisciplinary and adaptable to different pedagogies. Contextualized teaching is a natural part of education in agriculture, forestry, and natural resource (AFNR) classrooms. A synthesized understanding of CTL’s potential could help teachers improve AFNR education and support academic outcomes. Therefore, the goal of this review was to provide a relevant, unified narrative of CTL’s origin, summarize empirical studies, and identify future directions for CTL in undergraduate agricultural education. We conducted a semi-systematic review of 42 peer-reviewed articles on contextualized teaching and/or learning in AFNR education, using qualitative analysis techniques to describe general characteristics, the operationalization of CTL, research methods, and outcomes. We identified seven unifying themes that organize CTL in AFNR research into five broad areas, which could guide future research. Results indicated limited research exists on the use of experimental or quasi-experimental methods to compare student outcomes with CTL against traditional or non-contextualized methods. In CTL research, AFNR has been the content or focus of learning, the context of the teaching and learning environment, or a means of supporting AFNR graduates by improving their soft skills. We recommend future AFNR researchers using CTL strengthen and standardize methodologies across qualitative and quantitative approaches, investigate workplace skill development, and explore opportunities for behavior or attitude change.
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