Implementation of an integrated learning system in tenth grade remedial English courses and an examination of achievement, attendance, behavior, and attitude

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the implementation and results of using an integrated learning system as the primary instructional methodology in tenth grade remedial English courses. The 76 students who were the subjects of the study were assigned to either traditional classrooms without access to computers or to a computer laboratory where instruction was presented using an integrated learning system and occasional teacher-directed lessons. The study took place over one academic year (36 weeks). Dependent variables on which the two groups were compared included reading comprehension and English achievement; course completion; absenteeism; behavior; and attitude toward English, school, and computer-assisted instruction. Classrooms were visited quarterly to observe the implementation of the competency-based computer-assisted laboratory and traditional classes and to interview students and staff.Subjects were pretested and posttested using the Stanford Achievement Test. The mean scaled score gains for both groups showed improvement in reading comprehension and English. Findings from the analysis of covariance of gain scores with the pretest as the covariate showed a significantly higher increase in reading comprehension scores for the control group than the treatment group; treatment group gains in English were larger than the control, but not significantly. The control group also had a significantly higher course completion rate. Absenteeism and discipline referrals were higher for the control, but only the discipline referrals were significant.Staff and student interviews, attitude surveys, and observations provided data regarding implementation, perceived effectiveness of the integrated learning system, and teacher role. By the end of the study, there was a marked decline in the percent of the treatment group who liked English and who preferred taking English in a computer laboratory. Results were summarized and suggestions for further research were offered