Effect of enriched 5E Model on grade 7 studenst?s conceptual change: A case for electric current

The purpose of this study is to elicit grade 7 students? alternative conceptions of `electric current? within `electricity in our life? unit at science and technology curriculum and to investigate effect of enriched 5E model on their conceptual change. In context of the enriched 5E model, animation, simulation, refutational text and worksheet were employed. The sample of the study comprised of 68 grade 7 students from 3 cohort classrooms in a primary school which was located in town of Çarşıbaşı in city of Trabzon. One of these classrooms was randomly assigned as an experimental (N=23) group, the others were devoted to control-1 (N=23) and control-2 (N=22) groups. Within mixed method, the data were collected by means of a two tier conceptual questionnaire with 12 items and a semi-structured interview protocol with 13 principal open-ended questions. The questionnaire was administered as a pre-test one week before the teaching intervention, the same test was re-administered as a post-test one week after the teaching intervention. In according to the level of conceptual changes, the quasi constructed interviews were conducted with 6 grade 7 students (2 from each group).Results of the study indicates that the experimental group statistically outperformed in conceptual comprehension as compared to the control groups. Finally, even though the enriched 5E model was effective in overcoming the grade 7 students? alternative concepts of electricity current, it did not achieve to completely diminish them. In light of the results, it is suggested that the enhanced 5E model should be implemented to teach the other science subjects.