Examining a 5E Inquiry Learning Module for Malaysian Science Teachers: A Needs Analysis
Abstract
The Ministry of Education has advocated the use inquiry learning in the teaching and learning of
science across grade levels. Additionally, in certain state and district education offices, a 5E inquiry learning
template has been prepared for science teachers, purportedly to assist them in their lesson planning, with the
assumption that science teachers know and are able to apply the 5E inquiry learning. While we appreciate
the high While we appreciate the high regards the state and district education officers have on science
teachers with respect to science pedagogical approaches, a need analysis study, nevertheless, is pertinent to
ascertain if there is truly a need for a module on 5E inquiry learning. . An 8-item questionnaire was
developed and found to be valid and reliable for research purposes. The questionnaire was distributed to 52
science teachers (26 males, 26 females; 34 primary, 18 secondary). The findings indicate that the science
teachers self-perceived a fundamental need for coaching on the use of 5E inquiry learning. Equally, they
perceived that there is a dire need for a 5E inquiry learning module. Given that there are no significant
differences in perceptions across the items between the male and female teachers (p > .05), and also between
the primary and secondary science teachers (p > .05), it can be concluded that the crucial need for a module
on 5E inquiry learning exists regardless of gender and of the level of students they teach.