A New Learning Model on Physical Education: 5E Learning Cycle

Abstract

Many fields of education at the moment, especially in physical and technological educations, use 5E learning cycle. The process is defined as five Es. These represent the verbs engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate (1). The literature has been systematically reviewed and the results show that the 5E learning cycle is an untested model in physical education. Especially, positive or negative effects of the 5E learning cycle in physical education are unknown. This study is important for relevant literatures in order to be the first study about the conceptual constructive of the 5E learning cycle in physical education. Thus, the purposes of this study are to conceptualize the 5E learning cycle in physical education as a new constructivist approach and to prepare sample teaching plans for use in physical education classes. Sample teaching plans about the 5E learning cycle have been prepared by authors and are ready to use in physical education and sport teaching. For example, a physical education teacher who wants to teach basic concepts about the human physiology (like heartbeat, breath, fatigue, etc.) or skills, can use the 5 E learning cycle. First of all, in engaging stage, to draw the students' attention, teachers can ask considerable questions about daily life, and an amazing event or they give students the chance to think about some visual elements without making any explanation about the topic (What is the heartbeat?, Why do people get tired?, Students could be asked to place their hands beneath their left breast and tell what they feel etc.). In exploring stage, students should be involved in activities that allow them to have first-hand experience in the phenomena being observed i.e. heart beats. In order to build relevant experiences of the subject matter, models can be provided by the teacher, which will enable the learners to manipulate. Learners can communicate and share their ideas among themselves. The process is being facilitated by the teacher. In the explanation stage, the students are required to explain what they have learned by using their own words after the physical activity, by telling the results they reached, the observations they made and their ideas as well as the things that they noticed. In elaborating stage, using the lessons learnt in the previous stages, the students are encouraged to build and expand upon it to solve the problems in the physical education. They are provided to see new question types about the new taught subject and the students are expected to give answers to these questions. The last stage (evaluate), should be a continuous process which occurs in all the stages to determine that learning objectives have been achieved and to avoid misconceptions. Any evaluation tool can be used (observations, checklists, interviews etc). Student's physical performances and his developing degree in the process are taken into consideration. In this context, 5E learning cycle can also be used to teach concepts on physical education and sport teaching as an applied science of education. 5E learning cycle that is being used as a different model can be applied by competent physical education teachers in the course of physical education lessons. As a conclusion, the plans prepared may be applied by authors, teachers or independent researchers who want to study on this model and this study will be a new idea about the constructivist approach to teaching physical education.