Characteristics of the rural school environment may partially account for the stability of rural students' science scores at a time of declining national science scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress Test. The relative success of rural science students may be tied to the rural student-teacher relationship. Several studies reveal greater interpersonal communication in rural school settings. The success may also stem from student attitudes toward teaching behaviors. According to a survey of the attitudes toward teaching behaviors of students from a variety of demographic areas with urban and rural populations, school size does not affect student perception of desirable science teaching behavior. Rural and urban students are united in their perceptions of those teaching behaviors that indicate quality science teaching. They perceive teachers who are well-prepared to conduct an activity-oriented class with hands-on experience in a nearly natural setting as being high quality teachers. The fact that student success in the classroom is influenced by student perception of the classroom environment, coupled with the fact that student preferences in methodolgical behaviors are somewhat in line with the environment in rural schools, may partially account for rural students' stable science scores. (SB)