The purpose of this study was to investigate what affect a technology based inquiry approach (TBIA) had on 5th grade primary students' understanding of earth, sun, and moon concept in a science and technology course and how this changed their academic achievements. This study was carried out in a 5th grade elementary science and technology course with two groups of (a total of 97) students. Four hour a week course was conducted over a 3 week period of instruction. As a result of the analysis of data, there were statistically significant differences between experimental and control groups (P less than 0.05). According to results, the achievement level of the experimental group with TBIA was significantly higher than the control group with a traditional teaching method. TBIA is more effective and successful than traditional teaching methods in elementary science courses. (Contains 9 tables.)