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

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. Attitudes Toward Science Survey 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.