Effect of 7E instruction on primary students' non-ionizing radiation knowledge and protective behaviors

This study examined the effect of a 7E learning model-based instructional process on primary school students' knowledge, perceptions, and protective behavior awareness regarding nonionizing radiation.

A mixed-methods design was used, including a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest-control group and qualitative interviews. The study involved 48 fourth-grade students from a public primary school in Türkiye. Two classes were selected by drawing lots and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Quantitative data were collected using the rubric-based Radiation Information Form; Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were applied, and effect sizes were calculated. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using inductive thematic content analysis.

Both groups showed significant posttest improvement, but the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater gains with a very large observed effect size. Qualitative findings suggested more coherent conceptual understanding and increased awareness of protective behaviors among experimental group students.

The 7E learning model appears to support the development of children's understanding and awareness regarding nonionizing radiation. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the single-school sample, short intervention duration, and reliance on students' self-reported data.