Enhancing the Surrounding Environment Exploration Competency for Primary School Students Through the 5E Instructional Model: An Experimental Study in Vietnam

Abstract : This study focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of the 5E instructional model (Engage – Explore – Explain – Elaborate – Evaluate) in developing the surrounding environment exploration competency for primary school students. Through a mixed-methods research approach, we conducted a pedagogical experiment on 113 third-grade students in Da Nang city with the theme “School”. The initial survey indicated a significant gap: while teachers are still accustomed to one-way transmission teaching methods, students have a desire to interact and freely experience in their learning. After the experimental process, the group of students learning under the 5E model not only achieved higher average scores, but the percentage of students reaching a “Good” competency level was also significantly higher compared to the group learning under traditional methods. Notably, the analysis of 12 specific cases (case study) helped us recognize an uneven development among the skills. The students progressed very quickly in their ability to observe and collect information, but required more time along with continuous support from the teacher to practice asking questions and critical thinking. From these results, the study affirms that the 5E model is a practical solution to overcome the limitations of the old teaching approach, helping students change their passive learning habits to confidently explore knowledge, while simultaneously providing a practical foundation to replicate this instructional method.