5E instructional model
The 5E instructional model moves students through five phases to build and further develop understanding. These phases are: Engage → Explore → Explain → Elaborate → Evaluate.
Initially developed by
Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), Colorado, USA
Effectiveness
In 2023, Polanin et al. from the American Institutes for Research conducted a meta-analysis of 61 randomized control trial studies and found that the 5E instructional model had an effect size on student science achievement of 0.87. Download the research paper here.
Further reading
Where you'll find it in Stile
Every Stile unit is informed by the 5E instructional model at a program, unit and lesson level.
Examples within Stile
Engage: stoking student interest
A live poll about students' earthquake experiences sparks curiosity and surfaces prior conceptions.
Introduction: Natural disasters lesson
in the Active Earth unit
in the Active Earth unit
Explore: active investigations
Students investigate why sunlight is weaker in winter by experimenting with flashlights and angles.
Modeling sunlight intensity lesson
in the Our Place in Space unit
in the Our Place in Space unit
Explain: clarifying concepts
Students draw on learning experiences from the previous phases to explain key concepts. Teachers use these explanations to gauge student understanding and inform next teaching steps.
The fossil record lesson
in the Active Earth unit
in the Active Earth unit
Elaborate: applying and extending knowledge
Students apply their knowledge of forces in a novel design task, demonstrating their grasp of the concept by extending it to a new context.
Long-distance communication lesson
in the Waves unit
in the Waves unit
Evaluate: assessment and reflection
Students receive feedback on their thinking in this final phase. Teach Mode allows on-the-spot formative assessment during lessons, auto-marked check-ins provide prompt analysis of student understanding and summative tests offer a detailed view of student learning.
Test: The Hydrosphere lesson
in The Hydrosphere unit
in The Hydrosphere unit
Explore our core science curriculum
