Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL)

The biggest problem faced by the learners now (students) are they not been able to connect between what they learn and how that knowledge will be used. This is because the way they obtain information and self-motivation has not been touched by a method that can really help them. The students difficulty understanding academic concepts (such as the concepts of mathematics, physics, or biology), because the teaching method which has been used by educators (teachers) confined to the lecture method. Other students here certainly know what they are learning now will be very useful for their future lives, that is when they are societal or while at work one day. Therefore we need a method that can really give an answer to this problem. One method that can be more empowering students dalah contextual approach (Contextual Teaching and Learning / CTL)

Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) is a learning system that matches the performance of the brain, to develop patterns that create meaning, by linking academic content to the context of everyday life learners. This is important be applied to the information received is not only stored in short-term memory, which is easily forgotten, but can be stored in long term memory so it will be internalized and applied in job duties.

CTL-called contextual approach because the concept of learning that help teachers to link between the content to be studied with real-world situations students and encourage students to make connections between the knowledge possessed by its application in their lives as members of society.

According to pembelajran contextual theory, learning occurs only when students (learners) process new information or knowledge in such a way that can be absorbed into their minds and they are able menghubungannya with real life around them. This approach assumes that the mind would naturally seek the meaning of individual relationships with surrounding environments.

Based on the above understanding, according to contextual learning method of learning activities should not be done in the classroom, but could in the laboratory, the workplace, rice, or other places. Require educators (teachers) to be smart to choose and design learning environments that really relate to real life, both personal context, social, cultural, economic, health, and others, so students have the knowledge / skills to construct a dynamic and flexible actively own understanding.

In an environment like that, students can find meaningful relationships between abstract ideas with practical applications in real-world context, the concept of internalized through discover, strengthen, and connect. For example, the physics class is studying about the thermal conductivity to measure how the quality and quantity of construction materials affects the amount of energy required to maintain the building when exposed to heat or cold exposure. Or grade biology or chemistry class can learn basic scientific concepts by studying the spread of AIDS or the ways of farmers grow crops and their effects on the environment.

By applying CTL unwittingly educators have attended three modern scientific principles that support and regulate everything in the universe, namely: 1) the principle of interdependence, 2) Principle of Differentiation, and 3) Principles of Self settings.

The principle of interdependence teaches that everything in the universe is interdependent and interrelated. In CTL the principle of interdependence invites educators to recognize their linkages with other educators, with students, with communities and with the environment. The principle of interdependence invite students to work together, mutual expression, listening to each other to find the problem, designing the plan, and seek solutions to problems. The principle is to unite the experiences of each individual to achieve high academic standards.

The principle of differentiation refers to the constant urge of the universe to generate diversity, difference and uniqueness. In CTL differentiation principle frees students to explore personal talents, learn how to bring each individual, developing at their own pace. Here the students are encouraged to always be creative, critical thinking in order to produce something useful.

The principle of self-regulation states that everything is set up, maintained and recognized by yourself. This principle encouraged the students to release its full potential. They accept responsibility for own decisions and behavior, assess alternatives, make choices, develop plans, analyze information, create solutions and to critically assess the evidence. Furthermore, the interaction between the student will obtain a new understanding, new insights as well as discover personal interests, the power of imagination, their ability to survive and lack of expertise.

Back to the concept of CTL. In contextual learning teachers are required to assist students in achieving its goals. The point is that teachers are more dealing with the strategy of the provided information. Here the teacher simply manage the class as a team that works together to find something new for students. Teaching and learning activities (KBM) were more stressed than Teacher Centered Student Centered. According to the Ministry of Education teachers have to implement some of the following: 1) studying the concept or theory that will be studied by students. 2) Understand the background and life experience of students through the review process carefully. 3) Learning environment and residential school students who subsequently choose and mengkaiykan with the concept or theory that will be discussed in contextual learning. 4) Designing teaching by linking the concept or theory studied by considering the experience of its students and their environment. 5) Carry out an assessment of student understanding, the results of which will be used as material pemebelajaran refeksi against the plan and its implementation.

Curriculum and instruction based on contextual learning strategies should be structured to encourage five essential forms of learning: Relating, Experiencing, Applying, Cooperation, and Transfer.

Linking: Learning in the context of life experience, or associate. Teachers using this strategy he ketia linking new concepts with something already known to students. So thus, linking what is already known to students with new information. Curriculum that seeks to place learning in the context of life experience should be able to make students taking special account of daily events that they see, the events that occurred in the vicinity, or under certain conditions, then mengubungan information that they have acquired with the lesson and then try to find a solution to the problem of the problem.

EXPERIENCE: Learning in the context of exploration, experience. Contextual learning experience is central to where the linking means linking new information with previous pengetahui pengelaman well. Learning can occur more quickly when students are able to manipulate equipment and materials and to conduct other forms of active research.

APPLYING: Applying the concepts and information in a useful context for students' self. Students apply a concept when he malakukan problem-solving activities. Teachers can motivate students by memberikam realistic and relevant training.

COOPERATION: Learning in the context of sharing, responding, and communicating with other students is a major teaching strategy in teaching context. Students who work individually often not helped progress significantly. Conversely, students who are working in groups often can solve complex problems with minimal assistance. The experience of working together not only helps students learn the material, is also consistent with the real world. An employee who can communicate effectively, who can share information well, and who can work comfortably in a team of course highly valued in the workplace. Therefore, Sanat important to encourage students to develop skills to work this.

Transfer: Learning in the context of existing knowledge, or transfer, use and build upon what has been learned students. The role of the teacher makes a variety of pengelaman learning with a focus on understanding rather than hapalan.

According to the Ministry of Education for its application, contextual approach (CTL) has tujuah main components, namely constructivism (constructivism), find (Inquiry), asking (questioning), community-learning (Learning Community), modeling (modeling), reflection (reflection), and The actual assessment (Authentic). Adapaun explanation as follows:

1. Constructivism (constructivism). Constructivism is the foundation of our thinking CTL, which emphasizes that learning is not just memorize, recall of knowledge but is a learning process where students themselves mentally active helps to build knowledge, which is based on pengetahuanyang structure possesses.

2. Finding (Inquiry). Finding the essence of this part of contextual-based learning activities Karen acquired knowledge and skills students are expected not the result of considering a set of facts but the result of finding themselves. Activities found (inquiry) is a cycle consisting of observation (observation), asking (questioning), filed allegations (hiphotesis), data collection (gathering data), inference (conclusion).

3. Asking (questioning). Knowledge one always starts from asking. Questioning is a major strategy pembelajaan contextually based. Activity is useful to ask: 1) gather information, 2) explore students' understanding, 3) generate responses to the students, 4) determine the extent of student curiosity, 5) know the things that have been known to students, 6) focusing attention on something that is desired teachers, 7) raised more questions from students, to refresh students' knowledge.

4. Community Learning (Learning Community). The concept of learning communities suggests the learning outcomes gained from the cooperation of others. Learning outcomes resulted from the 'sharing' between friends, between groups, and between the tau into who do not know. Community learning occurs when there is a two-way communication, two or more groups are involved in learning communication learning from each other.

5. Modelling (Modelling). Modeling is basically express a thought, demonstrates how the teacher wants students to learn and malakukan what teachers want for their students perform. In contextual learning, teachers are not the only model. Models can be designed with, elibatkan students and also bring in from outside.

6. Reflection (Reflection). Reflection is a way of thinking or response about what newly learned AAU backward thinking about what has been done in the past. Its realization in teaching, leaving teachers to give students a moment of reflection in the form of direct statements about what he gained that day.

7. The actual assessment (Authentic Assessment.) Penialaian is the process of collecting various data that could give a description of the development of student learning. In the CTL-based learning, student development picture teachers need to know in order to ensure that students experience learning that is true. The focus is on completion of assessment tasks that are relevant and contextual as well as assessments are made to the process and results.

Advantages & Disadvantages Contextual Teaching and Learning

Excess
1. Learning becomes more meaningful and real. This means that students are required to grasp the relationship between the experience of studying in school to real life. It is very important, because with can mengorelasikan material found with real life, not only for the students the material that will work functionally, but the material learned will be embedded firmly in the memory of students, sihingga not be easily forgotten.
2. Learning more productive and able to foster the strengthening of the concept to the students because the learning method adopted CTL flow constructivism, in which a student is led to find his own knowledge. Through the foundation of philosophical constructivism students are expected to learn through "experience" instead of "memorizing".

Weakness
1. Teachers are more intensive in the lead. Because the CTL method. Teachers no longer serves as a center of information. The task is to manage the classroom teacher as a team that works together to discover new knowledge and skills for students. Students are viewed as a developing individual. One's learning ability will be influenced by the level of development and breadth of experience he has. Thus, the teacher's role is not as instructors or "ruler" that forces the will but the teacher is supervising students so they can learn according to the stage of its development.
2. Teachers provide opportunities for students to discover or implement their own ideas and invite students for being aware and consciously use their own strategies for learning. But in this context of course teachers need extra attention and guidance to students for learning purposes in accordance with what was originally applied.