Dumaguete City Division
Ramon Teves Pastoral Memorial
Dumaguete Science High School
THE USE OF MOBILE PHONES AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE STUDY HABITS OF
GRADE 12 SENIOR HIGH STUDENTS IN RTPM-DSHS
In partial fulfillment of the requirement in Research 1
Iturralde, Shaniah Nicole C.
Canete, Kathleen Grace
Reyes, Irah G.
XII-HUMSS Vanguard
Ms. Kassandra Venzuelo
Research 1 Instructor
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The use of mobile phones is a huge problem in Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial Dumaguete
Science High School (RTPM-DSHS) especially among the Senior High students who use this
electronic device during class hours. The researchers then decided to address this issue by
conducting a study to see if senior high students use this said device for leisure or for educational
purposes. Thus, the researchers wanted to see how the use of this device affect the study habits of
senior high students.
Background of the Study
Mobile phones are a crucial development in the modern world which can either be helpful
for educational purposes or greatly damaging for when used for leisure. According to Daniels
(2002), technology enables students to have a variety of choices when answering assignments,
whilst also becoming more dependent to electronic gadgets around them. Due to this, students
heavily rely on completing tasks through technology and its means (Harvey, 2002). As a result,
they forget to be responsible in their own way and let themselves be controlled with by all the
comforts that the gadgets give them for modern technology causes great distraction in the study
habits of students (Genske et.al., 2003). Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial Dumaguete Science High
School (RTPM-DSHS) is a school with techie students owning at least 1 electronic device each.
Recently, senior high students of RTPM-DSHS have constantly been caught using their mobile
phones—the most common electronic device—during class hours.
Significance of the Study
The purpose of this research seeks to find out whether the use of mobile phones is helpful
towards the students' study habits. The researchers also aim to identify the certain effects of using
mobile phones towards their student life and how badly or greatly do the use of the latter affect the
DuScian community.
Statement of the Problem
General Problem:
To determine how the use of mobile phones affect the study habits of Senior High students
in Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial Dumaguete Science High School whilst also identifying the
latter's main reason of use whether for leisure or educational purposes.
Specific Problem:
1. Do the use of mobile phones affect the DuScian student life? In a positive or
negative way?
2. Do students use their mobile phones mainly for leisure or for educational purposes?
Scope and Delimitations
This study focuses on the effects of the use of mobile phones on the study habits of senior
high students in RTPM-DSHS. This study was only limited to Senior High students of RTPM-
DSHS. The issues are to see if Senior High students use their mobile phones for leisure or for
educational purposes.
Review of Related Literature
A. Mobile Phones
Mobile/hand phones were intentionally made for adults and business use. (Jumoke,S.,
Oloruntoba,S., & Okafor, B.)(2015) Mobile phones have become a fundamental part of our daily
communications because of its capability to call and text (Bogusz, W.)(2013).
McNeal and Hooft (2006) found cell phones as important resources which make teaching more
relevant and meaningful thereby improving students literary and numeracy skills. In another study,
Attewell (2004) reported how cell phone use encourages both independent and collaborative
learning experiences and, in the process, raising self-esteem and self-confidence.
B. The Impact of Mobile Phones on Education
The use of mobile phones in the classroom help motivate students in becoming more interested
towards their class lectures thus, promotes learner-centered participation. (Jumoke,S.,
Oloruntoba,S., & Okafor, B.)(2015)
Steve Johnson (2005), in his nationally bestselling book Everything Bad is Good for You,
posited that technology is making us more intelligent due our means of obtaining, interpreting, and
processing information. Many studies have discussed how technology affects our brains and
impacts how much its use affects the way that we think and perform.
Kukulska-Hulme and Traxler (2007) believe that cell phones are a form of multiple literacy
which provides a bridge between the real-life texts of the community and formal learning thereby
providing a multimodal literary approach to learning. University students according to Ling (2001)
are susceptible to trends, fashions and styles, which make them more willing to adopt new
technology such as, cell phones. As new technologies emerge, the study habits of university
students also evolve. Cell phone use has been increasing in all economic and age sectors and has
expanded the boundaries of higher education into an ‘anytime, anywhere experience’ (Prensky,
2001) leading to university students been labelled as one of the most important markets and the
largest consumer group of mobile phone services (Totten et al, 2005). Cell phones are presenting
new means for students to access information thereby redefining the educational experience.
Redefining this educational experience however presents new challenges for both educators and
learners as they determine optimal mixes of technology and pedagogy. Improving the study skills
of university students is an area which lecturers and students alike agree is important.
Kukulska-Hulme and Traxler (2007) also revealed how cell phones facilitate designs for
authentic learning leading to personalized learning that largely targets real world problems and
involves projects of relevance and interest to the learner. Cellphone use has also been found to
support lifelong learning that occurs during everyday life, learning that occurs in spontaneity and
impromptu settings and outside the formal environment (Brown, 2005). Mcneal and Hooft (2006)
pointed out that even though cell phones are popular, their use in the learning environment has
been met with some resistance from students and educators mainly since they are “a source of
irritation, delinquency and even crime” (James, 2008).
Proponents of cell phone use strongly feel that cell phones are inappropriate tools for
learning as they are harmful. Commonly cited negative effects of cell phone use in education
include, chatting and texting when students should be studying. As Cumiskey (2005) notes, public
use of cell phones transforms our roles from social participants to observer or user. In other words,
it is not just the student using a cell phone who is affected but also the one who is studying closer
to the user thereby constituting a disturbance to proximate others. Kawasaki (2006), Jeen-Hynn et
al (2008) and Ling’s (2005) reported how students who are preoccupied with their mobile phones
tend to experience psychological disturbances, depression, lower self-esteem and interpersonal
anxiety when they study without their cell phones.
Increased implementation of technology will increase students’ comprehension of content
and development of skills in such areas as analytical reasoning, problem solving, information
evaluation, and creative thinking. Technology usage might produce comparatively more
significant increases in academic achievement than would non-usage Technology has been argued
as having a positive impact on our way of thinking (Mohammed and Abdulghani, 2016).
Helszer (2004) reports on how some Education administrators spend much time and energy
developing policies and procedures to keep cell phones out of education at the expense of
International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 1 No. 10 October 2013 5 developing sound
policies that integrate cell phone use as knowledge construction and data tools. For example,
Gilroy (2004) pointed out that 85% of professors surveyed in Germany stated that they wanted cell
phones banned from tertiary education mainly because of students cheating in tests, accessing
unfiltered internet sites and secretly taking pictures without permission. Cell phone use has also
been found to reduce students thinking abilities and shortening the attention span of students so
dramatically that students struggle to read anything longer than a social network posting (Young,
1996).
CHAPTER II
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This chapter will tackle on the materials, tools, procedures, and methods that the
researchers used and partook. There will be eight (8) sections for this chapter and those will be the
research design, environment, instrument, research respondents and sampling procedure, statistical
treatment, data collection and analysis, and ethical considerations. This chapter will discuss the
overall study design and the study’s methodical process of data collecting and analysis that will be
used to answer the questions of the study. Furthermore, the design and the methods for analysis
and collection of data will be thoroughly discussed.
Research Design
The quantitative research design used in conducting this study aims to know the effects on
the use of mobile phones on the study habits of Grade 12 senior high students. Furthermore, this
study will be using the survey research method, as the researchers aim to discover and describe
the reasons of the respondents for their decision. The data that will be collected through a survey
and will be conducted to the high school students of Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial-Dumaguete
Science High School, specifically the Grade 12 students. In pursuing a survey research design, the
researchers will be able to gather data in a secure and immediate manner due to lack of time and
resources. The data will be collected will go through quantitative data analysis.
Research Environment
The setting for conducting the research took place in Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial-
Dumaguete Science High School with Grade 12 senior high students being the target population.
This has been strictly specified due to the lack of time and resources that the researchers have. In
terms of location, Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial-Dumaguete Science High School is located at
Ma Asuncion Village, Daro, Dumaguete City. The venue for the surveys would most likely be in
the classrooms of the respondents. The respondents will immediately answer the surveys and to be
collected right after.
Research Respondents and Sampling Procedure
The respondents for this study would only be the Grade 12 senior high students (2018-
2019) of Ramon Teves Pastor-Memorial Dumaguete Science High School. The total amount of
respondents would be one-hundred and forty (140) and will be chosen randomly. Since there are
seven (7) sections for the entire Grade 12 population of RTPM-DSHS, the researchers will only
be choosing twenty (20) randomly-chosen respondents for each section. Simple-random sampling
has been chosen for this research in order to eliminate biases that would falsify the results of this
study. Furthermore, the Grade 12 senior high students were the chosen respondents since this study
is a topic concerning the said group only. All the while, the researchers chose Grade 12 senior high
students as their respondents due to time limitations and scarce resources.
Statistical Treatment
The statistical treatment used for this study was descriptive and the researchers used recursive
abstraction for summarization.
Research Instrument
The questionnaire composed of nine (7) questions that the respondents answered. The
answers for the questions will hopefully give satisfying and beneficiary results that is needed in
conducting this research. The results that will come up will be strictly confidential and its only
purpose is to benefit this study.
Data Collection Procedure
The material used for this research is a questionnaire that was personally made by the
researchers in order to gather the data needed. By the help of these written questions, it will be
easier for the researchers to tally the results. Since, this will be an interview with no specific time
and place, the researchers are responsible to monitor the given sheets and should check the answers
of the interviewee. In addition, the questionnaires that were provided are already checked to avoid
biased circumstances. In gathering the data for this study, one hundred and forty (140)
questionnaires were prepared and printed for the respondents. The researchers equally distributed
the labor in handing out the questionnaires. The researchers divided the one hundred and forty
(140) questionnaires and then distributed them to the one hundred and forty (140) respondents of
Senior High School, exclusively for Grade 12 students only. Moreover, this took place in Ramon
Teves Pastor Memorial-Dumaguete Science High School, on the weekdays, for the students are
mostly around at this time. The researchers handed out the data before the class begun and also
during their free time. The response and answers of the respondents on the survey will be collected
the moment the respondents finish answering.
Data Analysis Procedure
Quantitative data analysis will be used for statistical procedure. In this study, the mean or
average will be constructed. A set of analytical software will be used to assist in the analysis of
quantitative data which would be Microsoft Exel. The answers of the surveys will be tallied and
will be classified on their respective concepts. Tables and graphs will be used in representing the
data and the results of the surveys.
Ethical Considerations
All of the data and results that have been collected in the questionnaires are strictly
confidential in order to protect the privacy of the respondents. All while, the names will only be
optional to fill up. The literature that has been used in this study will be properly mentioned in the
reference page. Furthermore, the research paper will undergo on a plagiarism checker online in
order to prevent any accidental theft and to protect the dignity of the researchers and name of the
school. The researchers conducted the survey on a classroom setting and on weekdays, when
classes are being held, since there will be a teacher around that will monitor the surroundings. In
this way, the safety of the students will be ensured. Furthermore, in order to prevent the disruption
of classes, the researchers will ask permission to the teacher in charge of the class through a letter.
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
This chapter represents the data analysis and findings from the seven questions of the
survey that was conducted to the Senior High School students of Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial-
Dumaguete Science High School. Specifically, the chosen respondents of this study were students
from the 12th level. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects on the use of mobile
phones and its effects on the study habits of grade 12 senior high students.
Figure 2.1
DO YOU OWN A MOBILE PHONE?
17
No
Yes
123
In this graph, it is shown here that out of the one-hundred and forty (140) respondents, one
hundred and twenty-three (123) of them own a phone while seventeen (17) of them don’t own a
phone.
Figure 2.2
How Many Mobile Phones Do You Own?
100 100
90
93
80
70
60
50
40
30
20 18
10 17 3 2
0
Zero One Two Three Four
In this graph, it is shown here that out of the one-hundred and forty (140) respondents,
seventeen (17) of them do not own a mobile phone, while one hundred (100) of the respondents
own just one (1) phone each. Eighteen (18) respondents own two (2) mobile phones, while three
(3) of them own three (3) phones. Lastly, two (2) of our respondents own four (4) mobile phones.
Figure 2.3
DO YOU USE YOUR PHONE DURING
CLASS HOURS?
No, 22
Yes, 118
Figure 2.3 shows that out of the one-hundred and forty (140) respondents, one-hundred
eighteen (118) of them answered that they do use their phones during class hours, while twenty-
two (22) of them claimed that they don’t.
Figure 2.4
96
26
17
It is shown in the figure above that out of one-hundred and forty (140) respondents, ninety-
six (96) of them use their phones for leisure, while only twenty-six (26) use it for educational
purposes. One (1) person chose the option others and specified that he/she uses his/her phone just
to check the time. Seventeen (17) of the respondents left this portion unanswered for they do not
own a mobile phone.
Figure 2.5
Do the Use of Phones Affect your
Study Habits?
52
No
88 Yes
Figure 2.6
HOW DO THE USE OF MOBILE PHONES AFFECT
YOUR STUDY HABITS?
NEGATIVELY
DISTRACTIONS 42
DOES NOT
AFFECT
TIME MANAGEMENT 52
POSITIVELY
HELPS WITH SCHOOL WORK 46
In figure 2.5 and 2.6, it is shown here that the study habits of 52 students don’t get affected
when and if they use their mobile phones, while 88 students find it difficult to study when they use
their mobile phones. Furthermore, 42 respondents claimed that the use of mobile phones distracts
them from studying and focusing in class. Forty-six (46) students however, claimed that mobile
phones help them with their school work. Fifty-two (52) students claimed that their study habits
don’t get affected when they use their mobile phones because they can manage their time well.
Figure 2.7
How Frequently do you Use your Phone?
17 10
20
8
4
1
32
48
1-2 hrs 3-4 hrs 4-5 hrs 6 hrs 7-8 hrs 9-10 hrs 11-12 hrs None
This table shows how frequently the students use their phones. One (1) student claimed
that they take up only1-2 hours of their time when they use their phones, while forty-eight (48) of
the respondents, claim to use their phones six (6) hours daily, followed by thirty-two (32) of the
respondents which claim to use their phones 4-5 hours a day. Twenty (20) of the respondents take
up 3-4 hours of their time to use their phones, ten (10) respondents take up 7-8 hours, while eight
(8) respondents take up 11-12 hours of their time. Lastly, four (4) of the respondents, claim that
they take up 9-10 hours of their time every day for their phones.
CHAPTER III
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter indicates the study’s summary of the findings, conclusions, and
recommendations based on the data that was collected and analyzed by the researchers in the
previous chapters. Some findings and limitations were identified. A study on the use of mobile
phones and its effects on the study habits of Grade 12 senior high students in RTPM-DSHS was
researched in order to identify their rationale on this study.
Summary
To summarize the data, it has shown that majority of the students own a mobile phone. In
this case, it was discovered that they use their phones during class hours. In terms of purpose,
majority of the students use their phones for leisure rather than for educational purposes. As for its
effects, majority of the students showed that using mobile phones affected their study habits
positively. Lastly, in terms of frequency, it has shown that majority of the students use their phones
6 hours a day.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this study has shown that owning and using a mobile phone is of much help
to students’ study habits than compared to not having one at all. In addition, the data were able to
answer the questions that the study needs to be unraveled. The data showed that the students use
their phones mainly for leisure and thus, motivates them in their studies. Furthermore, with all of
the data that was gathered, it can be said that there are positive effects on the use of mobile phones
towards Grade 12 senior high students in RTPM-DSHS.
Recommendation
In doing further research, the researchers would like to recommend widening the target
population and increasing it. In addition, it is also recommended to take more into consideration
the purpose of use and its effects. For the students, we recommend that they continue to use their
phones for as long as it helps them with their studies. However, they should refrain from using
their phones during class hours, especially if it’s for leisure. For the parents, we would advise to
continue to guide them and supervise them when and if they use their phones.
