Action Research Summary - Copernicus Project - University of ...

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
1
Action Research Summary
Copernicus Project
SSI Year 4: K-6 Literacy through Science
Use of the 5 E model in the Classroom (27 Studies)
I. Research Question: Does use of the 5E instructional model assist students in
comprehending what a scientist is, what they do, and determine if they, the students,
can be scientists?
Summary of Results and Implications: This study was conducted in a kindergarten
classroom with 30 students. This action research project compared the knowledge of 30
kindergarteners as to whether or not they considered themselves to be scientists,
before and after the implementation of the 5E instructional model.
For this study, the teacher researcher taught science using direct instruction during the
first few months of the school year (September, October, November, and December).
This consisted of teacher driven instruction, in which students were front loaded with
textbook information and were required to complete a series of workbook pages in order
to show or put into practice the standard being taught. Following these first four months,
the students were interviewed individually using a teacher created questionnaire which
was used for the pre-test.
In January, February, March, and April, students received science instruction using the
5E instructional model. Teacher researcher acknowledges this was difficult at first,
though eventually students were allowed to interact with their peers, exchange
information, and explore on their own. Students were then interviewed again following
these four months of instruction.
The pre-test results determined that only 33% of the thirty kindergarten students viewed
themselves as scientists, while 50% of the students did not view themselves as
scientists or didn’t know. There were some students who did not complete a pre-test
due to absence. Post-test results determined that 94% of the thirty students perceived
themselves as scientists, while the other 6% didn’t know.
The action research was able to demonstrate a positive connection between the 5E
instructional model and the students’ perception of themselves as scientists. The
comparison of the pre and post test results show an overwhelming increase in the
students’ views and demonstrate the importance of giving students “freedom” to
explore.
II. Research Question: Will students perform better on teacher made assessments
using thte 5E lesson plan rather than assessments given from the science curriculum’s
(MacMillan/McGraw-Hill) assessment booklet?
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
2
Summary of Results and Implications: Action research was conducted in a 2 nd grade
classroom using a quantitative pre/post-test design. Teacher created the pre and post
assessment using picture of vocabulary words, vocabulary matches, and free-response
questions.
Analysis of the data concludes that students averaged 31% better on the teacher-made
assessment than on the science curriculum assessment. On the McGraw-Hill
assessment, 8 students scored below basic. On the teacher-made assessment, there
was only one student who scored below basic. Teacher Researcher concludes that
students are more successful at assessments when they are given free response
answer forms and visuals. Teacher states: “By viewing their science journals I could tell
that the students were learning the objectives. What I think made a big difference was
that I started off the engage portion of the lesson with the same visuals as the
assessment. They made visual connections and were able to attach the right
vocabulary and science processes with them.”
III. Research Question: Will the use of the 5E lesson plan in science improve students’
attitudes towards science?
Summary of Results and Implications: Action research was conducted in a 2 nd grade
classroom with 20 students. A pre/post-test, mixed quantitative and qualitative research
design was implemented for this study. Pre-data collection consisted of a short survey
to measure students’ attitudes and perceptions of science. Students were asked three
questions and were to draw a scientist. The first question asked students if they thought
science was fun or boring. The second question asked if they thought science was easy
or hard. The third question had them fill in what they thought they would learn about in
science. Initial results provided a baseline for students’ attitudes concerning science.
The results showed 92% of the students thought science was fun and 8% thought
science was boring for the first question that measured students’ attitude. On the
second question used to measure their perception of science, 35% thought science was
hard while 65% thought science was easy.
Implementation of the 5E lesson plans followed throughout the school year. Teacher
researcher acknowledges some struggles with 5E implementation and student reaction
to the 5E model. Despite the challenges, the teacher researcher worked through the
issues and managed to improve the quality of lessons throughout the year.
The post-survey results showed positive results for both attitude and perceptions in
science. Final surveys indicated that 100% of the students thought science was fun.
These results are an 8% increase in attitudes about science. The perception about the
difficulty of science netted results that showed 75% thought science was easy, while
25% thought science was hard. This was a 10% increase for students’ perception of the
level of difficulty for the science content area. The most dramatic results were evident in
the students’ ideas of what science is and what their favorite activities were from
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
3
implementing a year-long inquiry-based science program. Student responses included
ideas from each strand of the science program. Concepts from earth, physical, and life
sciences wer all included in the range of responses. Teacher was amazed at the
science vocabulary students were using to describe what was learned. Teacher also
noticed students showed a great interest in choosing science-based literature during
weekly visits to the library. Teacher researcher also notes that she discovered her
students are a good source of information and materials for science instruction, as they
would often bring in their own rock collections, hot wheels and other wind-up toys for
motion lessons, and various other materials to support lessons done in class.
IV. Research Question: Will the 5E model prove superior to the direct instruction
approach?
Summary of Results and Implications: This project was conducted in several second
grade classrooms with multiple teachers. The study took place in three second grade
classrooms implementing 5E instructional techniques, with four other second grade
teachers serving as a control group teaching with direct instruction methods. The study
took place in seven 2 nd grade classrooms with a total of 77 students authorized to
participate in the Action Research study.
Three teachers trained in the 5E model through the Copernicus Project compared the
results of their pretests and post-tests on one particular science test, with the results of
four control teachers that used a traditional direct instruction model. The comparison
revealed that the 5E model did increase the rate of student retention of material over
time.
Results indicate a positive relationship between the use of a 5E instructional model and
the retention of science knowledge by students over time. The average score a student
in a 5E instructional model classroom increased 1/64% over a period of time, whereas
the average score of a student in a direct instruction model classroom decreased by
1.37% over the same period of time.
V. Research Question: Will the implementation of the 5E model produce a statistically
significant increase in homework completion when compared to not implementing the
5E model?
Summary of Results and Implications: This research was conducted in a 5 th grade
classroom. The 5E model was implemented during the months of August - October, and
then again from December – February. A tally sheet was kept when the 5E model was
used and when it wasn’t, which coincided with the homework recording chart. A
comparison between the occasional use of the 5E model to a more rigourous use of the
model was the basis of the resulting data analysis.
Results of the investigation indicate that implementing the 5E model does have an
impact on homework completion. From December – February, the homework
completion rate of students in the 5E classroom was 85% vs. a 75% completion rate for
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
4
students in the direct instruction classrooms. From August – October, the homework
completion rate of students in the 5E classroom was 90% vs. a 87% completion rate for
students in the direct instruction classrooms.
VI. Research Question: Does using the 5E model for science instruction help 3 rd grade
students master third grade science standards in Life and Earth Science?
Summary of Results and Implications: This study was conducted in a 3 rd grade
Structured English Immersion classroom which includes a cluster of nine GATE
students. Two of the twenty students are identified Special Education students and all
are socially and economically disadvantaged and receive free lunch. Sixteen students
are English language learners in which Spanish is their first language and four are
English only students.
A quantitative pre/post-test design was used to collect data. Assessment used was an
exam based on Grade 3 science content standards for California public schools in life
and earth science. Average overall class score on the pre-test was 39.6%. Six months
later, the post-test was administered and resulted in a class average of 94.5%. In the
life sciences, students scored an average of 47% on the pre-test and scored an average
of 95% on the post-test. The earth science class average was 35% on the pre-test and
an average of 88% on the post-test.
Data showed that the students’ favorite part of a science lesson was the explore phase.
The experiences and investigations during this phase were exciting and interesting to
the students. They enjoyed predicting and thinking about what would happen without
the teacher giving them all the answers. This was especially trued of the GATE
students.
VII. Research Question: Will the use of the 5E instructional model increase the
frequency and level of students’ questions and statements during science instruction?
Summary of Results and Implications: This action research was conducted in a 3 rd
grade GATE Cluster Class of which 13 students were identified as GATE students, 6 as
regular education students, and 1 as a resource and GATE student. There were 9
children designated as language learners ranging from Level III to Level V. There were
no Non-English speakers in the classroom.
Teacher researcher acknowledges that the small sample size used in this investigation
may have severely hampered the results demonstrated from this data sample.
Nevertheless, the teacher concludes from this study, that students were more open and
engaged in their learning when the 5E model of instruction was used. “They improved
their reasoning skills, as evidenced by the higher level questions asked as well as their
communication and research skills.”
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
5
Quantitative data collected using a comparison of the number and level of questions
asked, showed that students started to question more frequently and were gradually
increasing their higher level thinking skills after 4 weeks of using the 5E model.
The qualitative data collected showed that students would open up more with each
other and test new ideas. It also demonstrated that behavior problems could be reduced
if the students were actively engaged and allowed to formulated and test their own
questions. Lastly, transferring of knowledge can and does take place if the students are
allowed to create their own understanding of concepts.
VIII. Research Question: Will implementing the 5E lesson plan format result in better
behavior of my 5 th grade students during afternoon science lessons?
Summary of Results and Implications: This study was conducted in a 5 th grade
classroom after teacher researcher noticed afternoon science time was hampered by
frequent student misbehavior. Last year, teacher wrote 24 office referrals or citations
after lunch. This year, teacher has a goal to reduce office referral by 50% and
classroom citations by 25%.
From August through November, 2008, teacher made no changes in the class, and
taught science in the afternoon using a direct instruction approach. This resulted in 3
suspensions, 4 office referrals, 22 citations, and 19 timeouts during the same time
period.
From December through March, 2009, students were taught science strictly with a 5E
lesson format. This resulted in 1 suspension, 2 office referrals, 4 citations, and 6
timeouts during that time period.
Teacher researcher concludes that students need to be fully engaged in a lesson. If
students are actively thinking and learning, behavioral problems are minimized. While
reading from a textbook is important, it should not be the only way a student learns.
IX. Research Question: Will incorporating the 5E Instructional Model during science
lessons help students become better readers, as measured by their reading level in an
Accelerated Reader® program?
Summary of Results and Implications: This action research project was conducted in a
3 rd grade classroom with 11 students whose reading levels were identified as “in need
of improvement”. These students were in the teacher researcher’s second grade class
the previous year. For the study, students’ reading scores in an Accelerated Reader®
program during their 2 nd grade year were compared to their scores in the 3 rd grade, after
10 months of implementation of the 5E model in the classroom.
Results showed a significant increase in reading level for the 11 students “in need of
improvement”. The average growth for these 3 rd grade students over 10 months was
1.25 months (as measured by Accelerated Reader). In their 2 nd grade year, these same
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
6
students averaged 1.1 month growth. All but one of the 11 students increased their
reading level as compared to their 2 nd grade results. Teacher researcher explains that
extraneous circumstances impeded the one student’s positive growth.
Teacher researcher concludes that a correlation exists between implementation of the
5E model and improved student performance in students’ reading levels. This is
attributed the 5E model’s ability to engage a student’s interest, while letting them
explore and conduct experiments that pique their interest and curiosity.
X. Research Question: Will the implementation of the 5E lesson plan format improve the
attitude of my 5 th grade students in science?
Summary of Results and Implications: The teacher researcher developed a 16 question
Science Survey and administered this survey to students in her 5 th grade classroom.
The survey included questions on how students feel about science in general and how
they feel about topics in physical, life and earth sciences. Further questions probed
student feelings about more specific topics in each content area and also asked about
student feelings towards science experiments and technology. The survey was
conducted twice – once early in the academic year, and again late towards the end of
the academic year.
The data collected revealed big gains in student attitudes on all survey questions.
Teacher researcher concludes that student attitudes greatly improved as a result of
implementing the 5E model. Teacher indicates that students enjoyed learning about the
solar system, water and weather. Students were more apathetic in their responses to
the attitude survey on topics that were introduced by use of direct instruction.
XI. Research Question: Will 1 st grade students develop more positive attitudes toward
science after experiencing lessons implementing the 5E method of science instruction?
Will first grade students alter their perception of what a scientist looks like after being
involved in experiments utilizing the 5E method of science instruction?
Summary of Results and Implications: This study was conducted in two 1 st grade
classrooms by a team of two teacher researchers. Design was a straightforward
pre/post-test design in which the post-test was administered following implementation of
a 5E lesson plan on Matter. Results of the pre-test showed 73% of students had a
positive attitude toward science, 13% were indifferent, and 13% had a negative attitude
about science. Additionally, students were asked to draw their conception of what a
scientist looks like. The pictures drawn varied, but most of the pictures did not
accurately depict what a scientist looks like or what they do. In many cases students
drew pictures of dogs, a teacher in the classroom with empty desks and children with
pets.
Following the Pre-assessment, the teachers implemented an inquiry-based unit on the
subject of matter, with a focus on the 5E’s. Following the unit, a post-assessment was
used to determine changes in student attitudes about science and perceptions of a
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
7
scientist. The final surveys indicated that 85% of students had a positive attitude about
science. This is a 12% increase in positive student perceptions of science. The
percentage of students who were indifferent to science decreased from 13% to 12%.
The percentage of students who had a negative view of science decreased from 13% to
3%. Overall, the students’ feelings about science became much more favorable and
positive. Even more fascinating for the investigators, were the drawings of scientists in
the final assessment. The pictures displayed students performing many of the
experiments from the matter unit. Pictures included bags of ice, thermometers, papers,
pencils, cups with water, plates with different items on them, piñatas, and several
versions of solids, liquids and gases, as well as people manipulating the matter in
experiments. Some pictures displayed students saying: “I am a scientist.” This was a
striking difference from the pre-test images.
XII. Research Question: Will Kindergarten students’ attitudes/feelings/perceptions
toward science change after using the 5E model of instruction?
Summary of Results and Implications: A straightforward pre/post-test research design
was implemented for this study. Students were given a set of 5 questions to answer to
determine student attitudes, feelings and perceptions about science. The survey was
administered early in the school year (November 2008), before implementation of 5E
model lessons and then following the 5E lesson plan implementation. The 5E model
was implemented between November, 2008 and February, 2009.
The teacher researcher found a positive correlation between 5E model instruction and
student attitude, feelings, and perceptions toward science. Post-test results showed that
students were able to give more descriptive answers on what science is, why it is fun,
and a more detailed picture and explanation of a scientist.
XIII. Research Question: Will students’ STAR Reading scores show growth coinciding
with implementation of the 5E lesson plan model to teach science?
Summary of Results and Implications: Teacher researcher found that teaching students
using the 5E model appeared to spark their interest to read more nonfiction books. The
study compared student STAR reading test results with those of the same students in
the previous year. The data showed that students read fewer total books in the 3 rd
grade (year the research was conducted), but the number of nonfiction books increased
from 187 to 238. This was an increase from 42.5% to 55.7% of total books read.
Average reading level also improved from 1.1 to 1.5, which is a gain of .4 (4 months
within the reading level).
XIV. Research Question: Will the 5E model of instruction increase students’ ability to
develop and retain knowledge about science?
Summary of Results and Implications: To conduct the study, the teacher researcher
individually interviewed 7 of the 19 students in this kindergarten classroom. Their
responses to 3 questions were videotaped before and after instruction using the 5E
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
8
model. The three questions were: Who can be a scientist? What does a scientist do?
And Do you like science? Student responses were then graded on a teacher-developed
4 point rubric. After 7 months of 5E lesson plan implementation the interviews were
conducted again with the same students.
Results found a positive correlation between the 5E model and student awareness and
self expression regarding what science is, who can be a scientist, and what a scientist
does. Post-test results showed excellent growth in student developed responses to the
questions. Answers were more specific and detailed, including examples from the
lessons they participated in in the previous months. Teacher found that the 5E model of
instruction allowed all her students to process knowledge in their own way, at their own
time and within their own framework.
XV. Research Question: Does the 5E model of instruction influence students’
achievement in science based vocabulary and concepts when compared to the typical
Direct Instruction delivery used most often on our campus?
Summary of Results and Implications: Research on this project focused on one specific
topic in the 5 th grade science curriculum. The topic was “weather”. Previous
assessments in this topic over the past 3 years revealed a weakness in retention of the
concepts on the summative assessments at the end of each chapter. A pre-test/posttest
design was employed to capture a brief snap-shot in time of student response to
the Direct Instruction model vs. the 5E model of instruction.
The study compared two separate, but similarly grouped classes. The exact same
material was presented to both classes. Results showed that the 5E method of
instruction produced better results when compared to Direct Instruction.
XVI. Research Question: Will frontloading vocabulary prior to a 5E lesson increase ELL
students’ academic performance on an end of lesson quiz?
Summary of Results and Implications: Teacher researcher wanted to test conflicting
education research findings that argue for and against “frontloading” of vocabulary for
ELL students. To do so, the researcher designed and implemented this action research
study.
Teacher researcher collected pre & post-test data during two lessons in the same class.
In comparing the two lessons, it was found that overall English Learners performed
higher without frontloading of vocabulary. When vocabulary was frontloaded, all but one
EL student showed a decrease in scores, ranging from 5% up to 17%, with average
decrease in scores of 11.25%.
XVII. Research Question: Will kindergarten students show an increase in their
knowledge about the three states of matter after teacher implements the 5E
instructional model in the teaching of the physical properties of matter?
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
9
Summary of Results and Implications: A straightforward pre-test/post-test quantitative
design was used in this study. Students were given a 10-item true/false pretest to
ascertain their prior knowledge about the physical science standards. Then, during the
month of March, the 5E intervention was introduced, after which a post-test was
conducted.
This action research project revealed a positive correlation between the 5E model and
student achievement. In comparing pre-test and post-test results, the students’
understanding of the three states of matter increased after the implementation of the 5E
model. As the students increased their conceptual understanding of the physical
properties of the three state of matter so did their test scores.
XVIII. Research Question: How differently will students fare (in levels of mastery) when
taught using 2 different instructional models 5E vs. direct instruction?
Summary of Results and Implications: A pre-test/post-test design was implemented
and found a correlation between the 5E instructional model and academic performance
of students. Post-test results in the multiple choice and short answer assessment
formats revealed an increase in the test scores of 50-83% of the students. These results
supported the stated goal of the study which was that there would be a 20% increase in
the number of students who earned a grade of 75% or higher. It was evident to the
teacher researcher that as students became more invested in their learning the more
successful they were as test takers.
XIX. Research Question: Does the 5E instructional model allow students to learn more
and perform better on their tests than students that received typical teacher-directed
instruction?
Summary of Results and Implications: This study was developed by a group of 2
teacher researchers looking at two different 1 st grade classrooms. One classroom was
used as a control where a direct instruction approach was used and the other was the
experimental group implementing the 5E instructional model. The control group
contained nineteen students and the experimental group contained twenty students.
Student pre/post-test results showed that students taught using the 5E model of
instruction performed better on the tests than the students taught using the direct
instruction model.
In the control group, all students (with the exception of 2 high achieving students)
scored below 60% on the pretest. The post-test resulted in 6 students scoring below
67% and 13 students at or above 70%. The total pre-test score average in the control
group was 39%, while the post-test score average was 71%.
In the experimental group, the pre-test resulted in 100% of the students scored a 70%
or below. The post-test resulted in 100% of the students scoring 70% or higher. This
was consistent across the three chapters taught for this study.
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
10
Teacher researcher concludes that the 5E instructional model had a significant impact
on student performance. Most students faired poorly on the pre-tests, but the students
in the experimental group faired much better on the post-tests than their counterparts in
the control group.
XX. Research Question: Will implementing the 5E Model in a second grade classroom
increase student interest in science?
Summary of Results and Implications: To measure any change in student interest in
science, an interest survey was created and given to second grade students in two
different classrooms. One class received science lessons using the 5E method. The
other class received direct instruction. Both classes were given the opportunity to check
out fiction/non-fiction books and selection was monitored during the time of the study to
help determine if students’ interest in scientific topics had changed.
Study was conducted in two second grade classrooms. Both classrooms were provided
a science interest survey to measure their initial and changed interest in science.
Results indicate that use of the 5E Model did increase the experimental groups interest
in science. In the experimental group, 7% of the books selected for student reading
were identified as science expository. In comparison, the class who received direct
instruction had 1% of the books selected in the category “science expository”.
XXI. Research Question: Will implementation of the 5E model in a 5 th grade classroom
improve students’ expository writing skills as evidenced by writing science related
essays?
Summary of Results and Implications: The purpose of this study was to determine
whether engaging students in a more exploratory method of learning would improve
their ability to pull out important scientific information enabling them to summarize ideas
and details in a well-written, multi-paragraph expository composition or not. The study
contrasted the writing performance of 30 5 th grade students before and after
implementation of the 5E instructional model in the classroom. Post-test data collected
from a writing sample following 5E implementation were compared to pre-test data from
an earlier writing sample before implementing the 5Es.
The action research showed a positive correlation between the 5E instructional model
and student achievement in writing. In general, it was noted that as the students
became more engage and explored science concepts on their own, their ability to
summarize important ideas and express those ideas in an essay increased. Students in
the control group (prior to 5E implementation) generally did not construct their own
knowledge because they were given all the content information. Students in that group
enjoyed science and liked making the foldable study guides, but they were not able to
express what they learned in their own words in comparison to the experimental
(following 5E implementation) group.
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
11
XXII. Research Question: Will use of 5E model improve 1 st grade English Learner’s
acquisition of science content vocabulary?
Summary of Results and Implications: Teacher researcher developed a pre/post-test
vocabulary exam to administer to her first grade class (the experimental group,
practicing the 5Es) and to a control class, taught by another teacher using a direct
instruction approach. Both teachers selected certain content areas to cover during the
research period. The selected topics were Earth and Life Science.
As evidenced by a comparison of the pre/post-tests in both classes, this study found a
higher level of acquisition of science content area vocabulary in the class that followed
the 5E lesson format. For half the students in the experimental group, this translated
into a jump into the Proficient or Advanced level of coursework.
Teacher researcher notes that students’ scores dipped considerably in the ‘cloze’
portion of the test. Teacher researcher attributes this to a need for more visual
representations in developing student content vocabulary.
XXIII. Research Question: Will using the 5E Model inspire my students to do more
outside (unassigned) reading, especially of non-fiction science books?
Summary of Results and Implications: Teacher researcher conducted this research in a
3 rd grade classroom. Student behaviors (in checking out classroom library books) and
test scores were compared to each student’s library-loaning behaviors and test scores
from the previous year.
Comparison results showed that there was a significant increase in the number of nonfiction
books chosen for outside reading compared to last year for which there were
none. Notable improvements were also demonstrated in an analysis of conversations
about science. Teacher notes that before teaching the 5E model, there were no
conversations about science or the world around them.
Another data point analyzed in this study was students’ general comprehension scores
on a standardized test. Scores in the first quarter CA Summative Test (prior to 5E
implementation) were used as a control and compared to scores on the Midyear CA
Summative Test (after 5E implementation) to see if there was any change. All students
in this analysis showed an increase in comprehension levels.
Teacher concludes that the 5E model had a very positive effect on the classroom. Her
study provided a measurement of success that will be further studied in future years
with other students to identify trends.
XXIV. Research Question: Does the 5E Model of teaching science improve girls’
attitudes toward science?
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
12
Summary of Results and Implications: This study looked at female students only in a
fifth grade classroom. The purpose of the study was to identify best-practices that when
applied help female students change their attitudes towards science in a positive way.
Data collected from students included pre and post surveys, written comments and
drawings that each girl drew pre and post of what they thought a scientist looked like.
Results of the study were telling. Female students went from seeing only men as
scientists, as evidenced by all the male scientists drawn, to viewing themselves as
scientists. Teacher researcher witnessed that students were more actively involved with
the curriculum. “Through inquiry they are making meaning from their explorations into
the science standards, instead of just reading about them and answering questions.”
XXV. Research Question: As compared to a direct instruction model, will an inquirybased
laboratory design produce an increase in the average class score of my 5 th grade
students on end-of-lesson, textbook created quizzes?
Summary of Results and Implications: The teacher researcher developed this study
with the goal of identifying teaching methods that yield the highest results in test scores
for students in that class. The research was conducted in a 5 th grade classroom with 34
students.
To conduct the research, the researcher divided each unit into lessons in which the
teacher would use either a direct instruction approach or a 5E model approach.
Following each lesson, a “cloze” test was administered from the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
“Reading and Writing in Science” resource book. Each test followed the same format
and contained from 7-11 questions for each test.
Teacher researcher concludes from an analysis of the data collected, that the inquirybased
teaching model is more effective than direct instruction. The results from this
study will be compared to future results to identify patterns/trends.
XXVI. Research Question: Will the 5E method of teaching improve student attitudes
towards science in my 5 th and 6 th grade SDC classroom?
Summary of Results and Implications: Teacher researcher created a survey that help to
gauge student interests towards science before and after being exposed to the 5E
model of learning.
A total of 10 students were able to complete the survey from the beginning and end of
the year, so the sample size is very small. Based on the 10 completed surveys,
negative and positive points were assigned to questions that showed negative
perspectives and positive perspectives, respectively. The comparison resulted in 85
positive responses and 75 negative responses on the science survey administered in
September 2008; and 135 positive responses and 25 negative responses in April 2009.
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
13
XXVII. Research Question: Will student attitudes and feelings toward science improve
along with their test scores, after the teacher implements the 5E instructional model to
teach science?
Summary of Results and Implications: This study took place in the researcher’s 1 st
grade classroom. The study was designed to compare the outcomes of teaching one
first grade science chapter from the district adopted Macmillan/McGraw Hill California
Science textbook using a direct instruction approach with the teaching of one first grade
science chapter (from the same book) this time using the 5E instructional model.
A pretest/posttest analysis consisting of a chapter test and an “Attitude and Feeling”
survey created by the researcher, was conducted. In comparing results from two
chapters, the researcher found that there is a positive correlation between the use of the
5E model and increased science test scores and positive attitudes and feelings for first
graders toward science.
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education