From “context” to “active contextualization”: Fostering learner agency in contextualizing learning through science news reporting

Learning context has been an important focus of research and pedagogy-related discussions in education. However, despite increasing efforts to contextualize content and pedagogical processes, context has been often conceptualized as a static input variable framed by teachers, textbooks and instructional designers, as opposed to the learners themselves. In this paper, we draw from our design-based research on STEM literacy and focus on the notion of active contextualization of students' learning. We reframe context as a continuous and interactive learning activity that is facilitated by learner agency in authentic learning environments. We focus on the iterative process of “contextualizing learning” and present cases where secondary school students engaged in active contextualization during their participation in authentic science news reporting. The study provides a new perspective for designing learning environments and delineates elements of active contextualization.