Teachers evaluated the effectiveness of using the 5E instructional model for science education in Italy. They found that: 1) Teachers guided student engagement through questions and causing doubts, rather than direct teaching, helping students design experiments, analyze data, and clarify explanations. 2) Both teachers and students found the 5E model effective in improving understanding of environmental issues and stimulating interest and curiosity. 3) Teachers reported being autonomous in implementing modules, though some faced challenges setting up activities, and noted that more time was needed compared to traditional teaching methods.

1. TEACHERS’ EVALUATION OF THE 5E INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL
IN ACARISS PROJECT
F. Ugolini1, L. Massetti1, E. Buselli2, A. Di Fabio3, A. Francini2, D. Guidotti2, M. Lanini1, S. Marchi2, A. Minnocci2, L. Palazzeschi3, L. Pellegrino1, G. Rossini1, C. Screti1, L. Sebastiani2, G. Tagliaferri1, A. Raschi1
1Institute
of Biometeorology – National Research Council, via G. Caproni 8, Firenze, Italy
2Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna – Institute of Life Sciences, P.zza Martiri della Libertà 33, Pisa, Italy
3Department of Education and Psychology - University of Florence, via di San Salvi 12, Firenze
f.ugolini@ibimet.cnr.it
Teaching methodologies based only on frontal lessons are not effective anymore and the use of new tools and materials seems more and more attractive for the students. Nevertheless, an exacerbating home
work is required from teachers which always need to searching for new inputs and new tools. A further issue is represented by the school curriculum which is more flexible only in lower grades of school. In this
context, the team of Acariss project, has proposed the use of the 5E Instructional Model for teaching in science education, with special focus on current environmental issues.
Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) is promoted for its effectiveness in increasing intellectual
engagement and fostering deep understanding through the application of the scientific method.
The key of IBL is the central role of the student in the learning process: the comprehension of
concepts is based on questions and practical experiences.
The essential characteristics for inquiry are: engagement of students by scientifically oriented
questions; giving priority to evidence in order to develop and evaluate explanations; formulation of
explanations from evidence; evaluation of explanation; communication and justification of
proposed explanation.
We have developed didactic modules using the tested methodology of the 5E Instructional Model
(Bybee et al. 2006) and we have asked teachers to evaluate their behaviour in classroom.
Number of
classes in 2013
9
4
2
0
1
5
2
7
Pupils measuring soilrespiration
2
5
4
8
“The teacher […] accesses the learners’ prior knowledge and helps them become engaged in a new concept through the use of short activities that promote curiosity and elicit prior knowledge.
[…]”.
“Exploration experiences provide students with a common base of activities within which current concepts (i.e., misconceptions), processes, and skills are identified and conceptual change is
facilitated. Learners may complete lab activities that help them use prior knowledge to generate new ideas, explore questions and possibilities, and design and conduct a preliminary investigation”.
“The explanation phase focuses students’ attention on a particular aspect of their engagement and exploration experiences and provides opportunities to demonstrate their conceptual
understanding, process skills, or behaviors. […]”.
“Teachers challenge and extend students’ conceptual understanding and skills. Through new experiences, the students develop deeper and broader understanding, more information, and
adequate skills. Students apply their understanding of the concept by conducting additional activities”.
“The evaluation phase encourages students to assess their understanding and abilities and provides opportunities for teachers to evaluate student progress toward achieving the educational
objectives”.
submission of a short questionnaire to teachers to evaluate the
teacher’s behaviour through indicators (Needham et al.,1994)
developed for the four step learning cycle model (Bentley et al., 2000).
Eventually, the questionnaire assessed the effectiveness of the module
to acquire new knowledge and rise curiosity and interest in students.
25 teachers were involved in the second year of project implementation and 17 of them participated to this evaluation survey,
filling one form per class involved into the project. Therefore, 26 filled questionnaires were finally obtained, one per module: 9
modules on carbon cycle; 7 modules on robotics; 6 modules on meteorology; 3 modules on salinity and plants; 1 on
eutrophication.
5
5
Engagement
Exploration
Explanation
Elaboration
Evaluation
5
5
4.3
4.3
4
5 4
5
3
3
4
4
2
3 2
3
1
1
2
2
0
0
1
1
Poses problems
Asks questions
Reveals discrepancies
Causes disequilibrium or doubt
Assess prior knowledge
Makes surveys
Asks questions
Reveals discrepancies
Causes disequilibrium or doubt
Assess prior knowledge
Provides feedback
Asks questions, poses new problems and issues
Proposes alternative methods to explain the issue
Offers alternative explanations
Enhances or clarifies explanations
Evaluates students explanations
Provides feedback
Asks questions
Offers information sources
Makes suggestions
Evaluates students
Provides examples
Organizes the work
Provides sources of information
Makes suggestions
Assesses students’ work
Assesses students’ skills and attitudes
5
5
4.1
4.1
5
5
4.3
4.3
5
5
4.1
4.1
2
2
5
5
2
2
5
5
5
5
5
5
2.4
2.4
2.4
1
2.4
1
2
2
5
5
5 3.4
5
3.4
3.1
3.1
1
1
5
5
5 3.6
5 3.6
5
5
3.6
3.6
3.4
3.4
3.1
3.1
1
1
1
1
2
2
5
5
1
1
2.2
2.2
1
1
1
1
1
2.2
1
2.2
1
1
1
1
4
54
5
3
43
4
2
32
3
1
21
2
0
10
1
5
5
4.2
4.2
5
5
3
4.2
4.2
3
5
5
3.0
3.0
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
3.1
3.1
5
3.7
5
3.7
3.8
5
5
3.8
5
5
3.7
3.7
3.8
3.8
2
2
2.7
2.7
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
1
1
3
3
1
1
3.1
3.1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3.0
3.0
1
1
1
1
1
1
2.7
2.7
1
1
2
2
1
1
Explore
Explore
Engage
Engage
Explore
Explore
Levels of agreement : 1=not at all agree, 2=a little agree, 3=rather agree, 4=agree, 5=totally agree.
Engage
Engage
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
0
0
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
0
0
5
5
4.2
4.2
5
5
4.3
4.3
5
5
4.22
2
4.2
5
5
4.3
2
4.3
2
2
2
5
5
3.9
3.9
5
5
3.9
3.9
5
5
3.9
3.9
1
1
2
2
5
5
4.2
4.2
5
5
2
3.9
2
3.9
5
5
2
4.2
4.2
2
2
2
5
5
4.2
4.2
2
2
1
1
5
5
4.2
4.2
1
1
1
1
5
5
4
4
5
5
4.5
4.5
5
5
4.5
4.5
5
5
4.6
4.6
5
5
4.0
4.0
5
5
4.0
4.0
53
5
3
42
4
2
31
3
1
53
5
3
4.5
4.5
5
3
5
3
4.5
4.5
5
3
5
3
4.6
4.6
5
5
4.0
4.0
5
5
4.0
4.0
3
3
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
3.8
3.8
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
20
2
0
1
1
5
5
3.8
3.8
5
5
0
0
Elaborate
Elaborate
Elaborate
Elaborate
Explain
Explain
Teacher faces problems and
Teacher is autonomous in
Teacher is autonomous for
difficulties in setting up the
finding sources of
finding materials
activities
information
2.2
5
5
0
0
0
0
Explain
Explain
Engagement
5
5
Teacher is autonomous
in leading the activity
3.0
3.5
5
5
4
4.1
Exploration
2.7
3.0
3.3
3.4
Explanation
3.0
3.3
3.3
3.4
2.8
3.2
3.3
3.3
2
5
4.5
5
5
5
4.1
4.1
4.3
1
1
1
3
Elaboration
5
4.6
Levels of agreement : 1=not at all agree, 2=a little agree, 3=rather agree, 4=agree, 5=totally agree.
Effectiveness of the modules
Students’ understanding of the proposed
environmental issue
Students’ stimulation of interest and
curiosity
Mean
Min
Max
4.3
3
5
4.5
3
5
2
2
1
2
0
T. shows
examples
T. organizes
the work
T. provides
T. gives
T. assesses
sources of suggestions students'
information
work
T. assesses
students'
skills and
attitudes
Evaluate
Teachers guide the engagement through questions and causing doubts in students. They don’t use direct teaching, rather a guidance. Teachers help students to design,
carry on the experiments, elaborate data to find conclusions, but they also help students to clarify their findings and explanations, suggesting alternative methods of exploration.
5E Instructional model was effective in students’ understanding of the proposed environmental issue and in stimulating the students’ interest and curiosity.
Teachers are rather autonomous in implementation of didactic modules although they found a few problems in setting up the activities. We got several positive comments
and some critical observation which basically concerned the more time needed to apply the learning model and the big challenge to organise
all planned activities in crowded classes.