Classroom Context: Use of Computers for Science

As part of the 2009 science assessment, fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders were asked how often they used computers for science. The full text of the question, percentage of students whose teachers responded in each category, and scale scores of students for each response category are below.

In this school year, how often have you used computers for science?

A. Never or hardly ever
B. Once every few weeks
C. About once a week
D. Two or three times a week
E. Every day or almost every day

Grade 4

Grade 8

Grade 12

Percentage of Students

Average Scores

Fourth-graders who reported using computers for science infrequently (153, 154) had higher scores than students who reported using computers more frequently (143, 137, 125 respectively).

NOTE: The NAEP science scale ranges from 0 to 300. Some apparent differences between estimates may not be statistically significant. See complete data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 Science Assessment.

Browse questionnaires for the NAEP assessments.