Science Process Skills of 10th-Grade Biology Students in a Computer-Assisted Learning Setting

AbstractA modular course in microbiology that included the simulation software The Growth Curve of Microorganisms was taught to 181 students from five 10th-grade classes. The goal of the study was to investigate the impact of Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL) integrated with classroom-laboratory instruction versus classroom-laboratory work alone on students' achievement and mastery of science process skills. The results indicate that students' entry-level knowledge in microbiology was equal for both groups. On the posttest, the experimental group achieved a significantly higher mean score on academic achievement. There were no significant differences within the groups by gender. Between the groups, girls in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores than those of girls in the control group. The experimental group performed significantly better on three science process skills: (a) graph communication, (b) interpreting data, and (c) controlling variables. The integration of CAL into the existing biology curriculum is discussed in the light of its potential to help students master science process skills and improve their academic achievement.Keywords: science educationcomputer-assisted instruction