The Effects of Smartphone Technology Usage to

Students Behavior and Studies of Grade 11 STEM

Inventor Students

Paul John L. Aba

Jeehan Wayne B. Zaspa
Emmanuel Zeus B. Ramacho
Jules O. Pascual
Dominic Charles P. Crisostomo
Justin Vince C. Villacampa
 INTRODUCTION

The use of smartphone among university students in the 21st century is seen as an

important part of their life because of its advanced features. Students use their smartphones to

accomplish their various daily tasks. Reviews from various studies reveled that students utilize

smartphones for various objectives. Most of the students utilize smartphones for entertainment,

social and education purposes. (Singh & Samah, 2018). A huge variety of applications (apps) is

available for every possible use, age and preference. The smartphone's capacity allows for

thousands of photos, songs, apps, and games, as well as tens of videos, a capability that is indeed

gratifying for its users. This digital convergence is one of many reasons why smartphone

ownership among American adults increased from 35% in 2011 to 64% in 2014 (Smith, 2015). In

According to the Google’s latest study, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), Sweden, Norway,

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all boast smartphone adoption rates above 50%.

All smartphones are equipped or ready for social media applications like Facebook, Twitter,

Wikipedia, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. These applications are characterized

by social interaction, content sharing, and collective intelligence. A research survey has shown

that Americans spent 7.6 hours a month using social media, with the majority of individuals

accessing social media through their smartphones.(Alfawareh & Jusoh, 2017).

Behavioral addiction also classified as impulse control disorder with a behavioral focus

resembles substance addiction in many domains such as phenomenology, natural history,

neurobiological mechanisms, tolerance, comorbidity, and overlapping genetic contribution (Grant,

Potenza, Weinstein, & Gorelick, 2010). Technological Smartphone addiction are different from

addictions such as alcohol or drugs; the former are behavioral and not substance dependent.

Behavioral addiction can be defined as a disorder characterized by behavior that functions to

produce pleasure and to relieve feelings of pain and stress, and failure to control or limit the

behavior despite significant harmful consequences.(Van Deursen, Bolle, Hegner, & Kommers,

2015). The mobile phone addiction level was significantly and negatively correlated with

depression (Chen et al., 2016). Problematic smartphone use is an important public health challenge

and is linked with poor mental health outcomes. Problematic smartphone use was most correlated

with anxiety, need for touch and FoMO. Frequency of use was associated with need for touch, and

(inversely) with depressive symptoms. Behavioral activation mediated associations between

smartphone use (both problematic and usage frequency) and depression and anxiety symptoms.

Emotional suppression also mediated the association between problematic smartphone use and

anxiety.(Elhai, Levine, Dvorak, & Hall, 2016). Previous studies, which observed the effects of

mental fatigue on physical performance, demonstrated that prolonged periods of cognitive activity

induce mental fatigue, which is a psychological state that is characterized by tiredness and lack of

energy (Boksem, Meijman, & Lorist, 2006; Marcora, Staiano, & Manning, 2009). Besides, it has

been suggested that mental fatigue can negatively impact on explosive strength, maximum

muscular contraction, power and anaerobic work capacities (Ferraz et al., 2011; Martin,

Thompson, Keegan, Ball, & Rattray, 2015; Pageaux, Marcora, & Lepers, 2013; Rampinini,

Impellizzeri, Chestnut, Coutts, & Wisloff, 2009; Smith, Marcora, & Coutts, 2015). Team sports

are characterized by very important cognitive requests that force athletes to maintain concentration

for prolonged periods of time and to take swift and accurate decisions in a highly dynamic

environment (Montgomery et al., 2008; Tavares, Smith, & Driller, 2017; Walsh, 2014). In fact,

the study by Smith et al.(Greco, Tambolini, Ambruosi, & Fischetti, 2017).

 As defined by Tuckman, performance as the obvious expression or demonstration of

sympathetic, ideas, skills and knowledge of a person and planned grade clearly indicate the

performance of a student. So student’s academic performance are given more emphasis and

keeping in view all the factors adversely or positively impacts on their academic performance.

Majority of students use smartphones for leisure purposes and only few uses for educational

development purposes. (H. P. Tuckman, 1975)

In their research titled “Smartphone Addiction in University Students and Its Implication

for Learning” Lee et al, found that the higher the addiction level is, the lower level of self -regulated

learning the students have, as well as low level of flow when studying. Further interview for

smartphone addiction group was conducted, it has been found that the smartphone addict—learners

are constantly interrupted by the other applications on the phones when they are studying and does

not have enough control over their smartphone learning plan and its process. (J. Lee, B. Cho, Y.

Kim, and J. Noh, 2015)

Technology continues to improve today. Its because human mind is still evolving and

curious to new things. Our mind is so powerful that sometimes it can’t be controlled. And it might

cause abnormal changes in our psychological mind. Smartphones can be a cause on these

problems. Sometimes people use smartphones in a wrong way and doing this without control, it

can cause addiction.

The researchers are studying about the effects of smartphones to determine the pros and

cons in our behavior and academic performances if using smartphones.

Statement of the Problem

To date, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the use of mobile devices

themselves. For most of the research reporting on the benefits and limitations of smartphone, there

was very little empirical evidence to support their claims. Although there is some evidence

regarding students’ use of smartphones in education, there is little research on how they have used

smartphones to support learning activities and how this relates to academic performance and

behavior. Understanding the stated relationship may give insights as to whether smartphone usage

has indeed contributed to increasing students’ academic performance and behavior or likewise it

is affected negatively. Generally, this study aims to determine the effects of smartphones to Grade

11 STEM Inventor students.

Research questions:

1. What are students common usage of smartphones?

2. How do smartphone usage affect students in their studies?

3. How does smartphone affect students behavior?

4. How do students use their smartphones to support their classroom learnings?

Significance of the Study

This study is about the effects of smartphones to students’ academic performance and

behaviour. This study may help to inform when to use smartphone and how to use it properly to

make it beneficial.

To the school Administrator. This study may help in facilitating the students whether to allow

them to bring their smartphones to school.

To the teachers. This study may inform them on what they can do to make smartphone a

productive tool in helping student excel in their academic performance.

To the students. This may help the students to not only realize the negative effects on using

smartphones but also how to properly use smartphones for academic purposes and to control

violent behavior. This study may help them to manage their time in doing school works or

studying.

To the future researchers. This study may help the next researchers that conduct study that

is related to the effects of smartphone to students’ academic performance and behavior as a

reference. This study may serve as a basis for future researchers.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study will be conducted at Julio Ledesma National High School, San Carlos City,

Negros Occidental.

This study only includes smartphones users. It aims to determine the effects of

smartphone on the students’ academic performances and behavior. It only focuses on 20 limited

Grade 11 STEM Inventor students that are randomly selected. The researchers will use close ended

type questionnaires that include 10 questions, specifically answered by multiple choice and yes or

no for the convenience of the respondents.

Definition of Terms

This terms here are conceptually and operationally defined for better understanding of

the readers.

Academic performance. Conceptually, academic performances represent the performance

outcomes that indicate the extent to which a person has accomplished specific goals that were the

focus of activities in instructional environments, specifically in school, college, and university

(Steinmayr, Meibner, Weidinger, Wirthwein, 2014). Operationally, academic performance is one

of the basis on how students perform in their class.

Education. Conceptually, education can be defined as a way to develop skills, habits and attitudes

that are expected for one to become a good citizen, the intent to develop or alter cognition, affection

and someone (Shariff, 2011) and Operationaly, education is the key foundation to a great career

and good life.

Smartphones. New generation of mobile phones, they have emerged over the last few years and

already have conquered the market. Smartphones with their mini keyboards are not just phones,

but have computer functions as email, calendar and address book, and office programs for reading

and editing. The multimedia phone features such as camera, video, sound recordings or podcasting

is advanced and can compete with specialized equipment. Smartphones can be customized with

new software, and the variety of these programs is increasing. The social communication platforms

(like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.), GPS functions and games are especially

popular. (Kibona & Mgaya, 2015)

Behavior. Conceptually, behavior is the way in which someone conducts oneself or behaves.

(Merriam Websters Dictionary)