Integrating ChatGPT into the Design of 5E-Based Earth Science Lessons

This study investigates how pre-service Earth science teachers used ChatGPT in designing lessons based on the 5E instructional model and what educational opportunities and challenges emerged. As generative AI tools gain traction in education, understanding their integration into science lesson planning is increasingly important. Eight pre-service teachers from a South Korean university participated in a four-week instructional design project. They developed 5E-aligned Earth science lessons while interacting with ChatGPT for idea generation, explanation, activity development, and assessment. Data sources included lesson plans, ChatGPT interaction logs, reflective journals, and interviews. Thematic analysis was used to examine instructional uses of AI and the adaptations required during the process. Findings showed that ChatGPT supported different phases of the 5E model—providing metaphors and analogies in Engage, activity ideas in Explore, draft explanations in Explain, task prompts in Elaborate, and assessment questions in Evaluate. However, participants frequently revised or rejected AI-generated content to match inquiry goals, student readiness, and curriculum standards. The study highlights the importance of pedagogical reasoning in AI-supported lesson design. It contributes to the growing literature on teacher education and AI by offering a phase-specific view of GenAI use and underscoring the instructional mediation needed for effective application.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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