Student Attitude Toward Science as a Function of Use and Non-use of Cell Phone Apps in High School Chemistry Classes

Bartrom Linda

doi:10.11648/j.ijsedu.20170502.12

Abstract

Cell phones are often a distraction in the American high school classroom. Their attachment to their cell phones is obvious. The incorporation of cell phones into, rather than exclusion from, the lesson at hand may provide a means for improving attitudes toward science providing the cell phone activity is salient to their Chemistry class. Five hundred twenty-two Chemistry students were divided into two groups: a control group using a physical hand-held calculator, and an experimental group who downloaded and used two different cell phone applications: one for an emulated calculator, and one for a set of periodic tables and elemental characteristics, and then used them in coursework. <i>Attitudes Toward Science Survey</i> measure was administered pre and post to both groups. There appear to be significantly higher positive attitude rankings toward science among learners who were introduced to phone apps for use in Chemistry class.

Highlights

Cell phones in the adolescent population of the United States present a growing distraction during class time which impacts the achievement level of students
Researchers found that students sending and receiving messages while studying scored lower test results and were less effective at tasks such as note-taking [1]. In combination with this is the fact that calculators are often “missing in action” in Chemistry classes, just when they are needed the most [2]
There is some movement toward incorporating apps into specific lessons at the elementary level, for example, they are discussed to regard to ipads[6] for numbers work. Extending this approach to the high school levels appears to be a logical step, and for our purposes, they needed to be specific to the discipline of Chemistry, both concept and calculation-based based

Summary

Methodology Article

To cite this article: Bartrom Linda, Rose William. Student Attitude Toward Science as a Function of Use and Non-use of Cell Phone Apps in High School Chemistry Classes. Received: October 11, 2016; Accepted: October 26, 2016; Published: March 23, 2017

Introduction

Problem

Hypothesis

QuikElem

Emulators

Methodology

Data Analysis

Summary and Conclusion

Implications for Further Research

Findings

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