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Abstract
Career and technical education provides hands-on learning opportunities for students around the world. In addition to learning trades inside of the classroom, career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) remove barriers by allowing students to compete in real-world situations. DECA, the CTSO for the marketing cluster, allows students to compete in marketing-related events. Specifically, the role-play events challenge student knowledge through a standardized test and a role-play performance. The DECA advisor and marketing teacher is responsible for helping students prepare for these events by teaching them the marketing content. This action research study helped the advisor improve instruction and drive student performance through the development of a DECA competitive events preparation program. A conceptual contextual teaching and learning framework was used and tested through three action research cycles. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected to measure the effects of the DECA competition preparation program. Participant narrative data was collected after each action research cycle, and the advisor reflected to make changes and drive improvement. Findings from the research suggest that the implementation of the preparation program had a positive effect on competitors’ performance on the standardized test and role-play event. Additionally, the teacher-researcher learned new strategies and methods of instruction that can be transferred and applied in the classroom setting.