5E Approach to Science & Technology

As science teachers we all want to be able to make science education more than just a collection of facts to memorized and restated on a test. Science should be viewed as a way of creating knowledge, not just a body of knowledge. It should also be viewed as a way of generating knowledge in which all of us can participate. Students in our classes need to feel empowered to use science as a way of finding out about the world around them. Students can develop their own ideas of how the world works (hypothesis) and then test their ideas by making predictions and seeking to verify their hypotheses with observations.

Unfortunately science as a way of knowing is often viewed as being very logical and intellectually demanding area of study. We communicate this misconception to students, many times unintentionally, with our portrayal of scientists as devoid of emotion, lacking in personal passions, and driven only by the need to understand. We fail to show our students that scientists are also creative, driven by their passions and that their work has everyday impacts on all of our lives.

Much of our energy in science and technology education is spent helping students to memorize other people’s constructions of knowledge. While it is important to learn the foundational knowledge of the discipline, students also need to learn the skills of investigation that generated that knowledge and learn strategies to help them construct their own understanding.

To achieve these goals educators need science and technology lessons that engage students in meaningful explorations and explanations of science concepts that extend into their everyday world, encouraging students to take action within their own community. The revised curriculum in Ontario directs educators to provide numerous hands-on opportunities for students to develop and refine their investigation skills, including problem-solving skills, critical and creative thinking skills, and communication skills, while discovering fundamental concepts through inquiry, exploration, observation, and research and to ensure that students are actively engaged in the process of constructing new learning.

The 5E approach to science and technology is a constructivist lesson planning framework that empowers students to explore science concepts, verifying their results against accepted scientific knowledge and applying newly constructed understanding to solve problems in their lives. The 5E Instructional model was developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum(BSCS). BSCS is a nonprofit corporation that endeavors to improve all students’ understanding of science and technology by developing curricular materials. The 5E instructional model in a research-based instructional model that can help students learn the big ideas found in the science curriculum.

More to come...