The 5E instructional model for the next generation chemistry classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if scientific literacy skills centered on the Science and Engineering Practices from the Next Generation Science Standards would be impacted by the 5E Learning Cycle pedagogy. One hundred and three high school general chemistry students participated in this study which took place over the course of four units. Students participated in pre and post treatments that included the Scientific Literacy Skills Exam, the Science and Engineering Practice Survey, and the Elements of Science Learning Survey. In addition, student performance was evaluated on a pre- treatment laboratory rubric scores and four treatment scores. Results suggest an attitudinal and cognitive gain in students' literacy skills gained during the 5E instructional units. The most growth occurred within the Science and Engineering Practice of planning and carrying out investigations, where the highest scores were seen in normalized gain value in rubric comparisons. In addition, this practice received the highest number of student responses to most focused on practice and highest percentage of gain during the Test for Scientific Literacy.