WHAT IS THE CTC APPROACH ABOUT
Down through history, several pedagogical tools have been developed to help teachers navigate their way through the path of delivering quality education that can promote meaningful learning. In science education, these tools are growing in number and quality as newer tools build on the strengths of the older and indeed, make adjustments for the weaknesses of their predecessors.
As it is, the quest for newer tools is unending in the face of dynamism of society, of knowledge, of technology and of learner characteristics. It is within this search mode for improved pedagogical tools that the Culturo- Techno-Contextual Approach (CTCA) emerges a refreshing addition.
CTCA targets perceived difficult concepts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as well as other subjects. These concepts impede performance of students in school and public examinations. In turn, such poor performance has grave consequences for the growth of knowledge societies. Consequently, the enterprise of searching for better tools for breaking barriers to learning should not abate.
There are five major steps in implementing CTCA in a classroom setting. CTCA involves featuring the culture, technology and context frameworks in the delivery of every lesson. What you may wish to note is that the first step is before the class while the last step is at the conclusion of or after the class. The four walls of a classroom are not limiting boundaries of CTCA. The five steps of CTCA are as follows:
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Inform students ahead of time of the topic to be learned in class. Ask each student to (a) reflect on indigenous knowledge or cultural practices and beliefs associated with the topic or concept. Students should be made aware that such reflections are to be shared with others in class when the topic is to be taught; and (b) using their mobile phones or other internet-enabled devices, search the web for resources relating to the lesson (first technology flavour of the approach).
- At the start of the lesson and after the introduction by the teacher, students are grouped into mixed-ability, mixed-sex groups to share individual reflections on the indigenous knowledge and cultural practices and beliefs associated with the topic. All such reflections are documented and presented to the whole class by the group leaders. The teacher wraps up by sharing his/her indigenous knowledge and cultural practices associated with the topic.
- The teacher progresses the lesson, drawing practical examples from the immediate surroundings of the school. Such examples can be physically observed by students to make science real. This is one of the “context” flavours of the approach.
- As the lesson progresses, the class is reminded of the relevance of the indigenous knowledge and cultural practices documented by the groups for meaningful understanding of the concepts. If misconceptions are associated with cultural beliefs, they are cleared by the teacher.
- At the close of the lesson, the teacher sends a maximum 320-character summary of the lesson (two pages) via SMS or WhatsApp to all students. After the first lesson, student group leaders are to send such messages. This is one of the technology flavours of the approach.
CTCA is a new kid on the methodology block.