Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.Casper, Kyle Mark2016-01-032016-01-032015https://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/9244Experts consider science inquiry as a best practice in science education. Inquiry instruction has a long history and is included in numerous versions of science education standards today. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of 5 E learning cycle inquiry-based units on student attitudes and content acquisition in middle school science classes compared to direct instruction methods. All grade eight students in two sections of Earth science received the treatment, a 5 E learning cycle unit on matter (N=37). The 5 E treatment unit was administered following a unit on astronomy that used the traditional direct instruction methods of lecture, notes, chapter reading, and teacher directed activities for comparison.enEarth sciencesInquiry-based learningMiddle school studentsProfessional PaperCopyright 2015 by Kyle Mark Casper.