The effect of constructivist approach 5E Model on 10th grade geography class (environment and society learning area) academic success and tendency

The aim of this research is to study the influence of learning designed in accordance with Constructivist 5E model activities on students?s academic success and their attitudes towards geography classes while teaching ?Environment and Society,? a secondary school 10th grade subject.The basic research method is the pre-test/post-test experimental research technique with control groups. Throughout the research, a 40-question Academic Success Test developed by the candidate has been used in order to measure the change in students?s success. In addition to this test, to observe students?s reception of geography class, Demirkaya (2003), and the ?Geography Class Behavioural Scale,? a likert scale developed by Coşkun (2004), have also been applied. Along with the 2x2 t-test (pre-test / post-test model with control groups), one-way variant test (repeated measures) has been adopted while analysing the sub-problems of the study and comparing the pre-test grades of test and control groups.The study has been carried out by studying on a test group and a control group from Yıldırım Merkez İmam Hatip Lycee 10th grade students in the Spring term of 2010-2011 academic year. A total of 76 female students have kindly taken part in the study. Classes based on 5E model have been conducted with the test group while teachers have been given the chance to choose and shape their teaching environment from other methods other than 5E model for the control group.The results have shown that the test group exposed to Constructivist 5E model has achieved considerable success and developed a keener behaviour towards geography classes in comparison with the control group students.Key Words: Constructivist approach, 5E learning model, teaching of geograhy, natural disasters, academic success, attitude.