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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a computer-assisted tutorial program on rural, middle school students' science achievement, attitudes toward science, and attitudes toward learning via computers and computer-assisted instruction (CAI). The sample consisted of 144 seventh-grade students enrolled in a life science course. These students comprised a total of six, intact life science classes. Three of the classes made up the experimental group while the remaining three classes made up the control group. The experimental group resulted in a group of lower achieving students while the control group resulted in a group of higher achieving, students.
Students that comprised the experimental group were given the opportunity to utilize a tutorial software program as an instructional supplement to their life science course. Students of the control group also interacted with computers throughout the course of the study, but they did not utilize the tutorial software program.
Data revealed that both the experimental and control groups exemplified significant growth in science achievement with the control group outperforming the experimental group in achievement. The results therefore indicated that the computer-assisted tutorial program improved rural students' science achievement; however, the program did not improve rural students' science achievement as well as classroom instruction without CAI.
There was no significant difference in student attitudes toward science or computers and CAI between both groups. The experimental group maintained a neutral attitude towards science throughout the study while the control group maintained a positive attitude towards science. Both the experimental and control groups had positive attitudes toward computers and CAI. As a result, the computer-assisted tutorial program did not significantly influence rural students' attitudes toward science or computers and CAI.
While the use of the tutorial software program may not result in a difference in attitudes, it does not negate rural students' attitudes toward science, computers, or CAI. More importantly, the program does improve science achievement for low achieving students.