This document describes an action research study conducted by Matthew Tyrie to analyze the effect of technology integration on student performance and attitudes in science. The study involved two groups of 7th grade science students, with one group receiving traditional instruction and the other receiving instruction with additional technology-based learning tasks. Both groups were tested before and after to measure changes in performance and attitude. The results showed that the technology integration group improved more in performance but declined slightly in attitude, possibly due to some students preferring non-technology approaches. The study aims to provide insights on effective uses of technology to enhance learning.

1. Technology integration and the Effect on
Learning and Attitude in Science
An action research study
by Matthew D Tyrie
Sunday, 8 December 13

2. Sunday, 8 December 13

3. Research question
What is the Effect of Using Technology
Integration and the Attitude towards learning
in Science.
TECH INTEGRATION
= PERFORMANCE ?
TECH INTEGRATION =
?
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ATTITUDE ?
?

4. The problem
As a science teacher, I observe many children moving
into middle school science lacking a strong base of
scientific language. Over my years in education, I
have recognized there is a need to help the
performance of students in their learning.
Differentiated instruction and tasks, supporting
learning styles, various reflection strategies, modeled
practice, criteria based rubrics which provide explicit
feedback and opportunities for student and teacher
feedback have all been employed in my teaching
approach.
The reality is, science is a vocabulary heavy subject
and some students find this threatening. When the
students are required to explain what they have
learned, they reach often demonstrate a basic
understanding of concepts.
I use technology
integration for students to process
concepts by creating a product, they can
synthesize information deeper and in a more
I’ve learned, however when
engaging way.
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?
?

5. Variables
Dependent: The change in performance gains.
Independent: The use of technology integration
in the application of learning vs a traditional
approach of paper application tasks
Attribute: A difference in the attitude between the
two groups towards science and learning in
science.
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6. Methods and Contexts
I used an action research intervention study with
a two group pre/post design as it presented the
least threat to validity and removed the threat of
maturation. There were two groups in the study in
which the impact of tech integration on student
attitudes and performance were explored. An
experimental group of 7th grade science
students(Group 1) and a control group of 7th
grade science students( Group 2 were chosen.
Each group was pre tested and post tested using
the Tyrie Learning Attitude Assessment before
and after the 7 week intervention to measure
change in attitude and for gains in Performance.
Sunday, 8 December 13

7. Prensky(2005) says...
“Digital technology is becoming an important part
of students education, but how to use it is not
completely clear.. what teachers do need to know
is just how technology can and should be used by
students to enhance their own learning” ( p 4).
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8. Santos(2009).....
“as a result of taking part in the action research,
this study also expects to provide insights on how
collaborative action research can be used as a
means to engage teachers in a reflective and
meaningful professional development.” (p 845)
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9. Hsu and Sharma(2008)
“ the purpose of this study was to analyze
enabling factors that might have helped to facilitate
and sustain the tech integration change process in
a science elementary course”( p213)
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10. Luck and Fong Peng(2010),
“there is a positive relationship in the
management of tech integration for maximizing
usage of technology enhanced teaching and
learning.. where students are able to learn better
when teachers teach by using the enhanced
technology in their curriculum” ( p 94)
Sunday, 8 December 13

11. Kikkaya and Vurkaya (2011)....
“Therefore it could be argued that the alternative
assessment activities carried out on experimental
group students took effect and elicited a positive
change in their attitudes towards science” (p999).
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12. Sample
Items
Freq.
Per. %
Gender
-Male
-Female
8
9
47%
52%
Age
12 years
13 years
Group 1
12
5
70%
30%
15
2
88%
12%
Race
-Korean/
American.
-Saudi
Arabia
Items
Group 2
Control
Gender
-Male
-Female
Age
12 years
13 years
Race
-Korean/
American.
-Saudi
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Freq.
Per. %
7
7
50%
50%
9
5
64%
36%
13
1
92%
8%

13. Threats to validity
The threats to validity of subject characteristics ,
mortality and historical events were removed. They
were removed by using the same group scores for
analysis. At no time was there any historical event
which disrupted the continuation of the study and no
students dropped the science class during the study.
If there was any threat it may have been researcher
bias.
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14. Intervention
7 weeks of enriching
technology integration tasks as
an application of concepts for
Group 1:
1. Numbers Tech task
2. White before my eyes Lab
report
3. Density PBL Tech
4. Keynote presentation
5. Concept Map Tech Task
6.. Heat Curve Tech task
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15. PerformanceGroup Group 2
PERFORMANCE GAINS
1
Performance Mean Gains
17.00
Mean
4.24
4.57
12.75
SD
2.36
4.33
8.50
MEAN GAINS /S .DEVIATION
Group Name
Group 1
Pre test
Mean
12.1
Post
Test
Mean
16.1
Gain
4.25
0
+ 4.2
Pre test Mean
Group 1
Group 2
10.42
14.28
Post Test Mean
Group 2
+ 4.5
MEAN AND GAINS BY GROUP
Results = Performance
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16. Attitude Group 1
Group 2
Mean
-0.647
0.357
22.00
SD
4.946
3.754
21.25
Table 10:Means/ Standard
deviations of TLA Gains
Attitude Mean
Gains
20.50
19.75
Group
Name
Pre Post Gain
Test Test
Mean Mean
Group 1
21
Pre test means
20.23 19.41 -0.82
Group 2
19.00
21.5
.0.5
Table 11:Attitude in pre test and post test scores.
Results = Attitude
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Post test means
Group 1
Group 2

17. Discussion
•Reanalyze some of the TLA stem
questions for Group 1 and identify which
students affected the large standard
These scores show that both groups are
performing at the same level.
Technology integration was an effective
approach to teaching as the Group 1
improvement in performance supports this
The negative change for group 1 is a surprise
as during the study I felt that all the students
were enjoying the process of using tech
integrated tasks in their learning. If we look at
the standard deviation of Group 1 it is rather
high at 4.946. Clearly many students did
enjoy their learning and improvement in
performance was made for all, but the large
attitude SD indicates that Tech was not the
preferred approach and as enjoyable for
some.
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Next
steps...
deviation and counsel with them as
these students may need some
personal attention
•.
Share my findings with my
department
•Conduct more
in-depth research
into which types of tech integrated tasks
can most improve performance and
achieve high quality learning.

18. References
Chun, E. (2013, September 15). bubbl.us | brainstorm and mind map
online. Retrieved September 15, 2013, from http://www.bubbl.us
Hsu, P., & Sharma, P. (2008). A case study of enabling factors in the
technology integration change process. Educational Technology and
society, 11(4), 213-228.
Kang, M., Heo, H., & Kim, M. (2011). The impact of ICT use on new
millennium learners' educational performance. Interactive Technology
and Smart Education. doi:10.1108/17415651111125487
Kirikkaya, E., & Virkaya, G. (2011). The effect of using alternative
assessment activities on students' success and attitudes in science and
technology course. Educational services theory and practise, 11(2),
National research council (2001). Educating teachers of science,
mathematics and technology: New practices for the new millennium
Sunday, 8 December 13

19. Oblinger, D., & Oblinger, J. L. (2005). Introduction. In Educating
the net generation (pp. 1- 1.5). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE.
Prensky, M. (2010). Introduction: Our changing world. In
Teaching digital natives: Partnering for real learning (p. 1- 12).
Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin
Santos, I. (2011, June 11). Ed/ITLib Digital Library → Technology
integration through collaborative action research.
Retrieved August 12, 2013, from http://editlib.org/p/37967/
Tyrie, M. D. (2013, August 9). Exploring Density Webquest
Project | 6/7 Middle School Science. Retrieved October 3, 2013,
from http://matttyrie.wordpress.com/exploring-density-webquestproject/
RMIT. (n.d.). RMIT. Retrieved December 6, 2013, from
http://raws.adc.rmit.edu.au/~s3326816/blog2/wpcontent/uploads/2012/03/website-home-pagecritique-550x322.jpg
Sunday, 8 December 13