Digital assessments boost science attitudes and sustainable education

As nations advance toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), equitable access to engaging science education is critical. However, the integration of digital assessment tools in basic science classrooms remains underexplored, particularly in relation to shaping student attitudes across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study investigated the impact of technology-enabled assessments on students’ attitudes toward basic science, emphasizing their potential to foster sustainable science education. We employed a pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design involving 150 Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS2) students from six Nigerian schools. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three instructional groups: traditional textbook learning (control), technology-enabled assessment with feedback only (TEAPF), and with both feedback and remediation (TEAPFR). Attitudinal and socioeconomic data were collected using validated instruments and analyzed using ANCOVA. Our results revealed that both TEAPF and TEAPFR groups exhibited significantly more positive attitudes towards basic science than the control group. Notably, students’ socioeconomic background showed no significant effect, nor did it interact with the assessment type. These findings underscore the inclusivity and effectiveness of feedback-rich, technology-supported assessment models in promoting positive learner dispositions, independent of socioeconomic context. We conclude that TEAPs have the potential to enhance student engagement, reduce disparities in participation, and support reflective, learner-centered pedagogy. We recommend increased investment in offline-compatible digital infrastructure, teacher capacity development, and policy support for embedding inclusive technology into science education practice.