0

USE OF MOBILE PHONES AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

OF GRADE 12 STUDENTS

REDGIL FABRIA
RENAFE RICABLANCA
CLOUDINE EBABACOL
CRIS JHON AMAHOY
JARIUS MACALAGUING
FRANCIS MARCMACAHILOS
JOLLIESHENE PADING
BOBBY CARYLLE ANN DAJIS
LOVELY JOY MAGNETICO
LESLIE MAY QUILAB
ARVEY CORO
JAMES ADRIAN DIANGO

HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, ALUBIJID NATIONAL

COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL IN PARTIAL
FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
IN PRACTICAL RESEARCH ll

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

(Goal Digger)

JANUARY 2021
 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Nowadays, cell phones become an integral part of our daily life as well

as university life and culture. Even a casual observation of today’s university,

students show cell phones being used, both overtly and covertly, in every

possible campus setting, including the classroom. Tindell and Bohlander

(2012) suggests that university students frequently use the cell phone during

class time despite rules against doing so.

As cell phone technology continues its rapid development, the device

appears capable of contributing to student learning and improved academic

performance. For example, modern “smartphones” provide students with

immediate, portable access to many of the same education-enhancing

capabilities as an Internet-connected computer, such as online information

retrieval, file sharing, and interacting with professors and fellow students (Bull

and McCormick, 2012; Tao and Yeh, 2013). Conversely, recent research

suggests that many university students perceive the cell phone primarily as a

leisure device, and most commonly use cell phones for social networking,

surfing the Internet, watching videos, and playing games (Lepp, 2013, Lepp.,

2015).

If typically utilized for leisure rather than education, then cell phones

may disrupt learning within academic settings (Levine,2007). Thus, the

potential relationship between cell phone use and academic performance is

not clear. In support of the “cell phone as disrupter” hypothesis, a recent study
 2

by Lepp,(2013) found that cell phone use was negatively associated

with an objective measure of cardiorespiratory fitness in a sample of typical

U.S. university students. However, modern cell phones enable users to

access a variety of electronic media at almost any time and any place.

Popular activities such as playing video games, surfing the Internet, and

monitoring social media sites are now all easily accomplished with most cell

phones. Although the cell phone is likely to be on hand while university

students are in class and studying, research investigating its relationship to

academic performance is limited.

According to Shreiner (2012) cell phones present new opportunities

and challenges for students. Along with their books and school supplies,

many students make their trip to school with their mobile phone. The

presence of cell phone provides a host of options and challenges for today’s

students. Mobile phones have become an almost essential part of daily life.

Ling (2004), states that traditional agents of socialization are families and

schools. With the expansion of educational system as a result of the need for

highly skilled workers lead to the school system taking increasing larger

responsibilities in socialization.

The researchers observed the need to study on how the use of

mobile phones and academic performance of Grade 12 students can affect

them. This may be a great factor to the students on how they will face it and

how to cope up with their teachers works and studies. The researchers think
 3

that it can influence some of the students to use mobile phones in a positive

way but it can also affect them in jeopardy.

Statement of the Problem

This study was designed to determine the use of mobile phones and

academic performance of Grade 12 students of Alubijid National

Comprehensive High School, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental.

Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the participants in terms of the use of mobile phone

as a learning tool?

2. What is the level of student’s academic performance?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the use of mobile phone as a

learning tool and students’ academic performance?

Objectives of the Study

This study will examine the use of mobile phones and academic

performance of Grade 12 students of Alubijid National Comprehensive High

School, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental.

Specifically, it aims to:

1. determine the profile of the participants in terms of the use of mobile

phones as a learning tool;

2. determine the level of student’s academic performance; and

 4

3. ascertain a significant relationship between the use of mobile phone and

students’ academic performance.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study will take place in Alubijid National Comprehensive High

School, Alubijid Misamis Oriental. This study focuses on the use of mobile

phone and academic performance of Grade 12 Students in First Semester of

School Year 2020-2021. This study aims to describe the relationship between

the use of mobile phone as a learning tool and students’ academic

performance.

Significance of the Study

In today's generation many students took on their mobile phones and

focusing on the internet. Amidst this pandemic, as usual it may vary on their

tasks and performance in school so that they can pass the activities. Prior

studies demonstrate the mobile phones can be distracting students in class

which in turn in negative effects on their learning experience. This study is

very helpful to all the following:

Students. With this study, the students will know their limits in using

mobile phones and gain knowledge on how to use mobile phones in a good

way. They will also know the bad effects of too much using mobile phones in

their academic performance in school. Teachers. They will convince to give

more lessons about the impact of using mobile phones in the academic

performance to their childrens. Other researchers. It will help them to have an

idea about their topic .

 5

Definition of Terms

To better understand the terms used in this study, the following are

defined operationally.

 Academic performance is the measurement of knowledge of the students

on how they do it properly to get high marks or grade in school. In this

study, this refers to the student’s general average during the first

semester.

 Mobile phone is a telephone with access to a cellular radio system so it

can be used over a wide area, without a physical connection to a network

 6

Review of Related Literature

This chapter discusses some related literature and studies obtained

from different sources that are relevant to the present study because they

serve as bases for investigation. They can help in the integration of ideas,

concepts and principles from various sources leading to the statement if

the research.

On the one hand, (particular functions of) smartphones could—when

used properly—lead to better educational performance. Smartphones ‘

mobility allows students to access the same (internet-based) services as

a computer almost anywhere, almost every time (Lepp, Barkley &

Karpinski, 2014), easy accessibility to these functionalities offers students

the chance to search continuously for study-related information.

Furthermore, social networking sites and communication applications may

contribute to the quick sharing of relevant information. Faster

communication between students and between students and faculty staff

may contribute to more efficient studying and collaboration (Chen & Ji,

2015; Lepp, Barkely & Karpinski, 2015).

On the other hand, research has suggested that university students

think of their smartphones as a source of entertainment, rather than as a

working instrument (Lepp, Barkely, Sanders, Rebold & Gates, 2013).

 7

These findings support the idea of a time trade-off la Becker (1965)

between smartphone use and study-related activities. That is, the time

spent on smartphone use is time lost for study activities. As such ,

university students’ decision to use their smartphones could have a

deleterious effect on their academic performance.

Furthermore, smartphone use may interfere with study-related

activities. The proximity of the mobile device can be a tempting distraction,

leading to multirasking o task-switching. A growing body of literature (see,

e.g. Junco, 2012; Junco & Cotten, 2012; Levine, Waite & Bowman, 2012)

has shown this behaviour’s negative implications with respect to

educational performance. We discuss four potential causes for this

multitasking or task-switching behavior. Firstly, virtual and auditory

notifications on the smartphone may draw students’ attention during class

and/ or during study time ( Junco & Cotton, 2012). Secondly, the desire

not to miss out on what is happening online and to continuously interact

with the rest of the world (nowadays labelled as “FOMO’, i.e, fear of

missing out) may lead to a lack of focus necessary to achieve good study

performance (Chen & Yan, 2016; Firat, 2013). Thirdly, but related,

smartphone use during study-related activities may be the result of

addiction behavior and cyberslacking, which can be defined as the

interference of personal (online) life during working or study activities

(Garrett & Dabziger, 2008; Vitak, Crouse & LaRose, 2011). Finally, due to

the lack of academic motivation, students can experience a sense of

 8

boredom for which smartphone applications provide a fast and tempting

escape (Hawi & Samantha, 2016

Besides the direct effect smartphone use might have on both time

spent and productivity for academic-related activities, smartphone use can

have an additional indirect impact on educational performance by

influencing students’s health. In recent years, an increasing amount of

literature provides evidence for a negative relation between technology

use, including smartphone use, and health indicators. As such, negative

associations were uncovered between smartphone use and (a) sleep

quality ( Christensen et al., 2016; Demirci et al., 2015; Rosen, Carrier,

Miller, Rokkum & Ruiz, 2016; Travernier & Willoughby, 2014), (b) mental

health (Lepp et al., 2014), and (c) physical fitness ( Jackson, von Eye,

Fitzgerald, Witt & Zhao, 2011). These health indicators have in turn been

associated with educational performance (see, e.g. Baert, Verhaest,

Vermeir & Omey, 2015; Galambos, Vargas Lacsano, Howard & Maggs,

2013).

According to Xinhua (2014), Filipinos are using their mobile phones not

only to communicate but also as mobile computers. Mobile phone is a

hand carry device that we can easily put this in our bag or in our pocket,

that’s why Filipinos uses this as a mobile computer also, because this

device is not only for communicating other people but also it can save files

and surfing in the internet.

According to Saud (2013), that cellphone is the main cause of

distraction in class. It has been compared to pacifiers for students. It’s the
 9

first thing they see in the morning and the last at night. We can say that

cellphone is one of the cause of distraction of the many students because

it can affect the student’s concentration in their academic performance and

they can only spend less time in other activities such as studying their

lessons, doing home works, reading books, playing sports and socializing

with family and friends.

According to Castillo (2011), it is the most high-speed digital voice

transmitter that can sent text messages, pictures, graphics, sounds, music,

email, and that is internet ready. As the technology improves, so as

cellphones evolves, with all the great deals of uses, many are hooked with

this gadget. So, most students also are already hooked to this mobile

phone the newer gadget are invented the more eager they want to have it,

that’s why most of them are curious about mobile phone rather than to

their studies or academic performance.

According to Serra (2012), As this technology introduce students are

driven away from their study. They also become enslaved by the

cellphone- idol that when this little God demands their attention, sleep is

disturbed, grades are affected and intimate moments are interrupted. The

students sleeping time also affected when they are overlaps of using their

mobile phone it might cause them to not go to sleep early because they

still use their mobile phone and it can also affect their studies because

they lack sleep. Some students did not realize that sleeping hours is very

important for them so that their brain would function well and they will use

it will.
 10

According to Gittleman (2011), Psychologists who studied

cellphone used reported that it leads to anxiety. Behavioral problems and

distraction in school teens think that they are addicted to cellphone and get

depressed when they can’t use it.

Previous studies have shown different patterns of smartphone

usage for social and academic purposes. Hossain (2019) found that the

majority of respondents were accessing social networking sites such as

Facebook during study time. Echenique, Molias & Bullen (2015) found that

most students were frequently using digital devices for socialization and

communication.

Makewa, Magaleta and Role (2017) found that students use

smartphones to enhance their academic goals, especially by accessing

educational materials and bilingual disctionaries. Hossain (2019) reported

that many students access Google and other search engines, thereby

turning their smartphones into research tools. These studies agree with

the findings by Chaputula and Mutula (2018) and Dania and Iwe-ewenode

(2016) who stated that most students have abandoned physical libraries

as they now search for information on the internet through their

smartphones.

Further, it was observed in this study that usage of smartphones

for social networking also fits well into students’ learning, for example,

most students use WhatsApp groups to discuss academic work and share

learning materials. This observation is contrary to findings of other

researchers (Dania and Iwe-ewenode 2016, Shava, Chinyamurindi &

 11

Somdyala 2016, Hossain 2019) who observed that most students use

social networking platforms for chatting puposes. The issue of students

accessing social media platforms when a lecture is session is not a new

one.

Conceptual Framework

Makewa, Magaleta and Role (2017) found that students use smart phones

to enhance their academis goals, especially by accessing educational

materials and bilingual disctionaries. Further, it was observed in this study

that usage of smart phones for social networking also fits well into

students’ learning, for example, most students use WhatsApp groups to

discuss academic work and share learning materials. Mobile phone is a

better tool in learning and academic performances. It can help to easier

our works in school. As a student its really great to have mobile phones so

that we can discover more things than we expect and can share to

everyone what they needed.

Research Paradigm
 12

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Participants Profile Mobile Phone Influencers

Year Level Of the Students Gender Academic Performances

Figure1. Research Paradigm showing the independent and dependent

variables

Hypotheses of the study

The following hypotheses are formulated to be tested statistically at;

0.05, level of significance:

Ho: There is no significant difference on the influence of mobile phone

usage on academic performance among male and female senior

secondary school students.

H1: There is no significant difference on the influence of mobile phone

usage on academic performance among senior secondary school students

of different age groups.

Ho: There is no significant difference on the influence of mobile phone

usage on academic performance among senior secondary school students

of different parent’s occupation.

 13

H1: There is no significant difference on the influence of the frequency of

mobile phone usage on academic performance among male and female

senior secondary school students.