The effect of the 5E instructional model on students’ cognitive processes and their attitudes towards chemistry as a subject

Abstract

The research aim was to examine the effect of the 5E instructional model on students’ cognitive processes and attitudes towards chemistry as a subject. The research was performed at three Slovak grammar schools in the 1st year during the 2nd term of the 2021/2022 school year. This research employed the experimental approach with a quasi-experimental design that involved experimental and control groups. The research sample consisted of 218 students, and it was divided into two groups: the experimental group comprised 114 students (who studied using the 5E model) and the control group comprised 104 students (who studied conventionally). The intervention took place during eight lessons (four two-hour laboratory exercises). A set of inquiry-based activities for the “chemical reactions and equations” thematic unit verified via pilot research was implemented using the 5E model in the experimental group. The research used the following tools: the chemistry concepts test based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy and a questionnaire to identify the attitudes of students towards chemistry as a subject. The chemistry concepts test results indicated that teaching with the 5E model was more effective than teaching without the 5E model in terms of developing cognitive processes. It affected all the observed cognitive processes (memorization, understanding, application, analysis, and evaluation). After teaching with 5E model, students’ attitudes in experimental group towards learning chemistry as a subject changed significantly. Finally, research presents some recommendations, including conducting more studies on 5E model-based strategy, cognitive processes, and attitudes towards science.