Learn about the BSCS 5E Model, a constructivist approach to education rooted in the educational ideas of John Dewey, and the 5 stages of the 5E Model: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
What is the BSCS 5E Model?
The BSCS 5E Model was developed in the late 1980s and built on the work of other educators, particularly the Karplus and Thier learning cycle. It approaches education from a constructivist perspective and is rooted in the works of American philosopher and educator, John Dewey.
The Constructivist Approach
Constructivism is essentially a theory about how people learn. According to this theory, people construct their own understanding of the world through their experiences and reflections. It is the role of the teacher to help students construct accurate understandings.
The 5E Model is a framework created to help teachers design instructional sequences that guide students through the necessary steps toward the construction of new knowledge. The creators of the 5E Model wanted a framework that was easy to remember (thus the 5 E’s) and relatively self-explanatory. The 5 E’s are: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
In this post, I will briefly introduce each stage. In subsequent posts, we will delve deeper into each stage, as well as some of the common misunderstandings about the model.
The Benefits of Using the 5E Model
The BSCS 5E Model offers several benefits for educators and students:
- It promotes active engagement by encouraging students to explore and construct their own knowledge, leading to a deeper understanding of concepts.
- It fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills as students investigate phenomena and formulate explanations.
- The model also supports differentiated instruction, allowing teachers to adapt activities based on students’ needs and prior knowledge.
- Additionally, the clear structure of the 5E Model aids in lesson planning and organization.
Overall, the BSCS 5E Model enhances student engagement, conceptual understanding, and overall learning outcomes.
Engage
The purpose of the Engage stage is simply to catch the student’s attention. It may be a situation or event, a problem or puzzle, or an interesting demonstration. The Engage activity, which may or may not be a full lesson in length, is designed to pique student interest and get them thinking about relevant content. It can also be a great opportunity for teachers to assess prior knowledge and identify misconceptions.
Explore
In the Explore phase, students are given the time and opportunity to “explore” their current understanding and demonstrate what they already know as they attempt to make sense of the Engage activity. Students are investigating phenomena, discussing their ideas, and beginning to formulate possible explanations.
The teacher’s role in this stage is to provide the appropriate background information and materials for students to carry out the activity. Then, the teacher becomes a facilitator — listening, observing, and guiding students as they attempt to make sense of what they have observed.
Explain
In the Explain phase, the concepts introduced in Engage are made clear and understandable. At this phase, scientific vocabulary is applied and the explanations formulated in the Explore phase are refined.
The teacher’s role is to guide students’ attention to key aspects and elicit their explanations. The goal is to guide students to construct an accurate understanding independently, but when that is not possible, the teacher should clearly and explicitly present the key concepts. This can be done verbally or through videos, readings, websites, or other technologies.
Elaborate
The goal of the Elaborate phase is for students to apply their understanding of the basic concepts to similar but new situations. The activities should be challenging but still within their reach. This can also be the stage where students independently practice and apply what they have learned.
Evaluate
In the Evaluate phase, students are engaging in activities that are consistent with those presented in prior phases but with the goal of assessing their explanations. As with all assessments, teachers should have a clear understanding of evidence of student learning and what to “look for” in student work.
Want to Learn More About The 5E Model?
How to Really Use the 5E Model (Apple Podcast)
