they learning.
19
The teachers should make the class as other environment which students ever know and involve them as part of its environment. The
contextual learning is the approach that enables students for empowering, exploring, and applying their skills and academic knowledge in any kind of the
real-life either in the school or out of school
20
. Students feel free to explore their interest or skill in learning which is useful for their out-class lives.
Furthermore, students are trained to solve the problem they face in situation. For instance in the simulation form, and the problem that exist in the
real world.
21
With some training to solve problem students are familiarized to do it with their own skill.
When the contextual learning is applied properly, the students are hoped to be able to connect what they got from class with the real-world they experience
in their environment. Therefore, the teacher needs to understand the concept of contextual learning and able to apply it properly.
3. Characteristic of Contextual Teaching-Learning
According to Johnson
22
, there are eight main components in the system of contextual learning as following:
a. Making Meaningful Connection
Students can organize themselves as learner who learn actively in developing their proclivity individually, and can work individually or in
group, and can learn by learning While making meaningful connection can also help teachers assess how
students use prior knowledge to understand the lesson, teachers can use the organizers to gain insights into students’ connections as they are learning.
The use of this simple strategy on an ongoing basis will allow teachers to provide additional differentiated instruction and support to students who
19
http:www.coe.uga.eductl Accessed on October 17
th
, 2009
20
Nurhadi, et al. Pembelajaran Kontekstual…………….. P.4
21
Nurhadi, et al. Pembelajaran Kontekstual…………….. P.4
22
Elaine B. Johson, Contextual Teaching and Learning: What it’s and Why it’s Here to Stay thousand Oaks: Corwin Press, Inc, 2002, p.24
need additional instruction. In addition, teachers will plan for further instruction.
23
b. Doing Significant Work
Students can make relationship between the school with the real-life in society as a worker or citizen.
24
So it will give them meaning in their learning.
c. Self Regulated Learning
Students recognize about their academic strengths and weaknesses and they have strategies which they can apply to handle the challenges of
academic tasks. This characteristic insists the teacher to encourage the students to expand their potential. Teacher should provides strategic action
planning, monitoring, and evaluating progress based on a measurement standard and motivation to learn.
25
d. Collaborating
Students are able to be cooperative. Teacher helps them in order to work effectively in group, helps them in understanding how do they influence
and communicate each others. e.
Critical and creative learning Critical thinking involves logical thinking and reasoning skill such as
comparison, classification, planning, analogies and creative thinking involves creating something new or original.
26
Students are demanded to explore their thinking ability to criticize things happen around them.
f. Nurturing the individual
Since every child has their own character, we should not force certain type of learning style, we need to keep their individual: understand, give
attention, motivate and empower their individuals, students cannot success without the adult people. So the students need to respect their friends and
adults.
23
http:forpd.ucf.edustrategiesstratText.html Accessed on October 09
th
, 2009
24
Nurhadi, et al. Pembelajaran Kontekstual… P.14
25
http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiself-regulatedlearning Accessed on June 14th, 2010
26
http:eduscapes.comtaptopic69.htm Accessed on June 14th, 2010
