Authors: Divya Krishnan Maniyeri, Professor (Dr) Parshuram Dhaked
Abstract: This study investigated the impact of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-Integrated Instructional Programme on the academic achievement and attitudes of secondary school students in Science and Mathematics. Utilizing a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test non-equivalent control group design, a sample of 184 Grade IX students from CBSE-affiliated schools in the Marwar and western regions of India was selected. The experimental group (n = 92) participated in an eight-week intervention integrating PhET interactive simulations, GeoGebra, Kahoot!, Socrative, and Google Classroom, while the control group (n = 92) was taught through traditional chalk-and-talk instructional methods. Data were collected using a validated 100-mark Academic Achievement Test (AAT) and a 30-item Attitude toward ICT Scale (A-ICT-S). Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that, after statistically controlling for pre-test variations, the experimental group achieved significantly higher post-test scores than the control group (F(1, 181) = 32.87, p < .001, ηp² = .154). A two-way factorial ANOVA confirmed that pre-existing attitudes toward ICT significantly moderated this instructional effect (F(2, 179) = 3.46, p = .034, ηp² = .038), with the largest academic gains observed among students possessing high baseline attitudes (d = 1.38). Furthermore, paired-samples t-tests demonstrated a substantial positive shift in technology attitudes within the experimental group (t(91) = 12.21, p < .001, d = 1.27), contrasted against stagnant attitudinal patterns in the control group. A significant positive correlation emerged between post-test attitude and post-test achievement (r = .36, p < .001). These findings provide empirical validation for the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the implementation mandates of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, suggesting that structural modifications to learner attitudes are critical to maximizing the return on educational technology investments.
