Contextual learning in career and technical education

This capstone is a study of implementing contextual learning into Career and Technical Education (CTE). Contextual learning is the application of academic skills. Applying skills allows students to further their skill development and retain knowledge. Contextual learning is shown to improve test scores, increases student achievement, and encourages CTE students to become life long learners. Key influences included peers, teaching experience, current and former students, and authors such as Bottoms, Crawford, Goodland, Hull, Parnell, etc. The research was conducted using current research from journals, online findings, and texts. The author shows examples of curriculum that are successful applications of contextual learning. Success is defined as increasing student engagement while applying academic skills in real world situations