5E Teaching Model

The 5E learning model is a five-stage instructional model developed within the framework of constructivist learning theory, aiming to deepen students’ conceptual understanding and ensure their active participation in the learning process. This model was created by Roger Bybee in the 1970s as part of the Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS) project. At its core, the model is based on students discovering new concepts, integrating them with prior knowledge, and actively constructing information.

Academic studies conducted in Türkiye have shown that the 5E model has positive effects particularly on scientific process skills, students’ attitudes toward learning, and conceptual understanding. The model’s effective structure enables students to become more active participants in their learning process through teacher guidance. The model is built around the student’s progression through five stages: activating prior knowledge, discovering new information, explaining findings, extending understanding, and evaluating the learning process. These stages are named after their English equivalents’ initial letters: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.

Theoretical Foundations of the Model

The 5E model is grounded in the constructivist approach to learning. According to this approach, individuals do not passively receive information; instead, they interpret and construct knowledge through their own experiences, interactions, and mental processes. In this context, the teacher does not directly transmit knowledge but acts as a guide who facilitates the learning process. Students, in turn, occupy the center of the learning process; they question, investigate, discuss, formulate hypotheses, and arrive at concepts through experiential learning. The theoretical foundation of the model is especially functional for developing scientific process skills and provides students with opportunities for critical, creative, and analytical thinking.

Stages of the Model

Engage (Involvement / Attention Capture)

The first stage aims to activate students’ prior knowledge and focus their attention on the topic. The teacher uses engaging materials such as videos, images, questions, short texts, or poems to capture students’ interest and initiate cognitive engagement. Students are posed thought-provoking questions related to the concepts to be learned, thereby actively involving them in the process. During this stage, the teacher does not provide information directly but encourages students to share their own ideas and connect them with prior knowledge.

Explore (Investigation)

In this most active stage, students discover new information through group work, experiments, observations, and research conducted independently. Students generate their own questions, conduct investigations, and collaboratively construct knowledge. The teacher assumes a guiding role during this phase but avoids direct instruction. Students connect their prior knowledge with new observations to develop conceptual understanding. This stage represents the most intensive application of constructivist learning principles.

Explain (Explanation)

In this stage, students attempt to interpret their data and observations by explaining the concepts they have learned. The teacher participates in the process by offering scientific explanations and helping students clarify their conceptual understanding. The teacher also identifies and corrects incomplete or incorrect interpretations through formative feedback. Students express their ideas orally or in writing, and their knowledge is deepened under teacher guidance.

Elaborate (Extension / Expansion)

This stage enables students to apply the concepts they have learned to new and different contexts. Students generalize their knowledge by using it in other situations, solve diverse problems, and establish complex relationships between concepts. The extension process is designed to develop higher-order cognitive skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking. Students achieve lasting learning by transferring prior knowledge to novel situations.

Evaluate (Assessment)

In the final stage of the model, students’ learning process is assessed both in terms of process and outcomes. Assessment is conducted not only by the teacher but also by the students themselves. In this stage, students engage in self-assessment to analyze their own level of learning.

The teacher monitors student progress using various tools such as observation, open-ended questions, performance assessments, portfolios, and rubrics. This evaluation also aims to measure the retention of knowledge acquired in previous stages. Students typically prepare individual reports reflecting on the learning process.

Applications of the 5E Model in Türkiye

Scientific studies conducted in Türkiye have demonstrated that the 5E model is an effective instructional strategy. A meta-analysis covering 23 studies conducted between 2004 and 2014 found that the 5E model has a positive effect on students’ attitudes toward lessons.^【1】 According to the meta-analysis, the overall effect size of the model is 0.371 (SE = 0.105; 95% CI = 0.166–0.576), which, although small, is statistically significant.

In an experimental study at the primary education level, students in the experimental group who received science instruction based on the 5E model showed significant improvement in their scientific process skills, and this improvement persisted in retention tests conducted three months later. Significant development was observed in sub-skills such as observation, hypothesis formation, data collection, and interpretation.