This study investigated the effect of an integrated, activity-based
science curriculum, on science achievement, science process skills, and
attitudes toward science. The research involved seventh grade students
using the Integrated Science (IS) curriculum as the experimental group and
seventh grade students using a traditional science curriculum as the control
group. The IS curriculum developed connections between different content
areas of science, technology and mathematics in ways to improve science
literacy for students while the traditional curriculum focused on Life Science.
The instruments included the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), the
South Eastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) Science Process Skills
Test, and the SERVE Science Attitude Survey. Analysis of Covariance
(ANCOVA) was used for data analysis.
In the experimental group, 532 seventh grade ITBS Science scores
were matched to same student sixth grade scores with 450 matches
obtained in the control group. The experimental group had a significantly
higher ITBS Science adjusted posttest mean compared to the control group
with means of 238.3 and 232.2 respectively. The effect size (f=1.026) would
be considered large according to J. Cohen (1988).
In the experimental group 531 Process Skill Test matches were made
pretest to posttest while 398 matches were made in the control group. The
experimental group adjusted posttest mean score was significantly higher
than the control with means of 14.51 and 13.68 respectively. The effect size
(f=.9285) was large. Differences in individual process skills were also
evaluated and significant differences were found between the experimental
and control groups.
Students were given the SERVE Attitude Survey as a pretest and
posttest. The attitude adjusted posttest means of the experimental and
control groups were not significantly different.

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