Smartphone Usage on the Academic Achievement of Senior High

School Students: Experimental Inquiry

Background of the Study

Smartphone addiction significantly impacts the academic achievement of

senior high school students. Studies indicate that high levels of smartphone

addiction are correlated with decreased attention spans and lower grades. This

relationship underscores the adverse effects of excessive smartphone use on

students' ability to focus and perform academically. The distraction posed by

smartphones, through social media, games, and other non-educational content,

leads to reduced study time and lower academic performance. Additionally,

smartphone addiction disrupts sleep patterns, contributing to fatigue and reduced

cognitive function during school hours. Consequently, managing smartphone usage

is crucial in ensuring that students can maintain their academic performance and

overall well-being.

In South Korea, a country known for its advanced technology, researchers

found that high school students faced significant academic setbacks due to

smartphone addiction. Surveys conducted in Seoul revealed that students who spent

over four hours a day on their phones experienced a noticeable decline in academic

performance, particularly in mathematics and science (Cheng & Lee, 2020).

Similarly, studies in Metro Manila indicate that high school students in urban

areas are particularly vulnerable to smartphone addiction. The availability of faster

internet and advanced gadgets has led to higher levels of dependency. For example,

at the Philippine Science High School, smartphone usage among students was

found to interfere with both classroom participation and exam performance,

Journal, 2022).

At, Sigaboy Agricultural Vocational High School, many students have reported

that excessive smartphone use affects their ability to concentrate during class.

Teachers have observed an increase in distracted behavior, particularly among

Grade 11 students, who are more exposed to digital content that competes for their

attention.

The existing literature highlights the critical need for research specifically

focused on the unique challenges faced by senior high school students regarding

smartphone addiction and its impact on academic performance. Exploring the

psychological, social, and emotional dimensions of this issue is essential for

developing effective strategies to support students during this pivotal stage of their

education.

Statement of the Problem

This research aims to investigate the specific effects of smartphone usage on

the academic achievement of senior high school students. The primary problems to

be addressed include:

1. What is the level of smartphone usage among senior high school students

Sigaboy Agricultural Vocational High School in terms of:

1.1 Time spent on social media and games;

2. What is the effect of smartphone use on academic performance in terms of:

2.1 Quarter grade;

3. Is there a significant relationship between the influence of smartphone

dependency on the academic achievement of senior high school students.

There is no significant relationship between smartphone usage and the

academic achievement of senior high school students.

Scope and Delimitations

The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of smartphone

usage on the academic achievement of senior high school students at Sigaboy

Agricultural Vocational High School (SAVHS). The research focuses specifically on

Grade 11 students, examining their smartphone usage patterns and how these relate

to their academic performance in terms of grades, attendance, and classroom

participation. This study is limited to the students enrolled in the academic year

2023-2024 at SAVHS. Each participant will be asked to complete a questionnaire

designed to assess their smartphone dependency and academic behaviors. The

sample will include students from different sections to ensure a diverse

representation of perspectives and reduce bias.

Significance of the Study

This study is significant as it examines the impact of smartphone usage on the

academic achievement of senior high school students at Sigaboy Agricultural

Vocational High School (SAVHS). Understanding this relationship is crucial for

students, parents, educators, and policymakers, etc. It provides insights that can

inform strategies to enhance academic performance and promote healthier

give significance to the following sectors:

Students: The findings will help students understand how their smartphone

usage impacts their academic performance, encouraging healthier habits that

promote better learning outcomes.

Parents: Insights from the study will inform parents about the effects of

smartphone dependency, enabling them to guide their children in establishing

balanced usage patterns that support academic success.

Teachers: Educators will gain valuable insights into how smartphone use

affects classroom engagement and student performance, allowing them to adapt

their teaching strategies and create a more conducive learning environment.

School Administrators: The research will provide data that can inform

policies regarding smartphone usage in schools, helping administrators implement

guidelines that enhance student focus and academic achievement.

Policymakers: The study can contribute to discussions around educational

policies regarding technology use, supporting the development of frameworks that

promote effective learning environments.

Future Researchers: Gain insights that can guide further studies on related

topics or expand on the findings of this research.

This study will be anchored on Blumler & Katz's Uses and Gratifications

Theory (1974). This theory states that individuals actively use media, such as

smartphones, to satisfy specific needs, including communication, entertainment, and

information-seeking. In the academic context, students use smartphones for

educational and non-educational purposes. This theory is fit for this study since the

extent and nature of smartphone activities can influence students' academic

achievement and performance.

Conceptual Framework

The research entitled " Smartphone Usage on the Academic Achievement of

Senior High School Students" will be conducted to identify the impact of smartphone

dependency on the academic achievement of senior high school students. This

study will survey the Grade 11 Senior High School students of SAVHS using survey

questionnaires. The results are expected to provide insights into how smartphone

usage influences students' academic performance and will help in formulating

strategies to mitigate any negative effects.

(IV) and academic achievement (DV). The study aimed to determine if there is a

significant relationship between the two variables.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Smartphone Usage Academic Achievement

 Time spent on social  Quarter grades

Figure 1: The Conceptual Paradigm of the Study

For clearer understanding of the readers about the contents of this paper, the

following terms were conceptual defined:

1. Smartphone usage- refers to voice calling, texting, world wide web

browsing, and other app usage on the smartphone as it pertains specifically to

academic purposes such as but not limited to the completion of school assignments,

projects, and preparation for assessments.

2. Academic performance- includes performance on homework, projects,

quizzes, tests, classroom participation, and any other factors a teacher used in

determining a grade across all subjects and classes as measured through

cumulative GPA.
 Chapter II

This chapter aims to assess literature that evaluates the impact of smartphone

usage on the academic performance of SHS learners. It will try to analyze the views

of international, national, and local perspectives on the issue and highlight existing

literature gaps which this research intends to fill.

A study conducted by Bennett (2020) investigated the relationship between

smartphone usage and academic performance among high school students. The

findings indicated no significant correlation between the two variables, suggesting

that the impact of smartphone use on academic performance may be more nuanced

than previously thought. However, a literature review by Sung et al. (2021)

highlighted that excessive smartphone use could negatively affect learning

performance, with students who spend more time on their phones experiencing

lower grades. Additionally, a study by Kim et al. (2021) explored adolescent

smartphone usage patterns and found associations with self-control, achievement

goals, and academic performance, suggesting that individual differences play a role

in how smartphone use affects learning outcomes. Further, Norton and Hill (2021)

highlighted that prolonged smartphone usage, especially during study sessions, led

to cognitive overload and reduced retention of academic material. The presence of

constant notifications and the temptation of social media detracts from students'

ability to engage deeply with academic tasks.

Several studies have examined how students allocate their time on

smartphones. For instance, a study by Lopez et al. (2021) found that senior high
school students spend an average of 6 hours daily on smartphones, with a

significant portion devoted to non-educational activities such as social media and

gaming.

Theoretical framework

The Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), introduced by Blumler and Katz in

1974, helps us understand why and how people use media, including smartphones.

Rather than being passive recipients of media content, people actively choose what

media to engage with, depending on what they need at the moment—whether that’s

information, entertainment, or communication. In other words, this theory sees

individuals as active participants in selecting media that fulfill their personal needs

(Blumler & Katz, 1974).

This theory is especially relevant. For students, smartphones can be tools for

academic success—such as researching for projects, attending online classes, or

using educational apps. But smartphones also offer plenty of distractions, like

gaming, social media, and entertainment. This dual nature of smartphones, where

they can either help or hinder academic performance, makes them a perfect subject

to explore using the Uses and Gratifications Theory.

Research Design

Experimental research has established a link between excessive smartphone

usage and lower academic performance. According to a study by Ahmed and Torres

(2022), students with high screen time performed 15% worse on standardized tests

compared to their peers with moderated usage. This relationship was particularly
evident among students who used smartphones for non-academic purposes during

study hours

Conversely, not all smartphone usage negatively impacts academic

performance. Studies such as that by Chua and Dela Cruz (2020) highlight that

smartphones can serve as effective tools for research, communication, and

collaboration when utilized responsibly. Applications like online learning platforms

and educational resources have shown to improve students' academic engagement.

Research by Ching and Singh (2020) demonstrated that university students in

Malaysia utilized smartphones to support their learning activities, indicating that

when used purposefully, smartphones can enhance educational

experiences.However, a study by Aljomaa et al. (2024) found that high smartphone

usage intensity among high school students negatively affected their higher-order

thinking skills (HOTS) in physics learning, suggesting that excessive use may hinder

cognitive development in specific subjects. Furthermore, a study by Li et al. (2022)

revealed that students in the high smartphone use group academically outperformed

those in the low smartphone use group, indicating that the relationship between

smartphone use and academic performance is complex and may depend on how

smartphones are utilized.

The dependency on smartphones is often cited as a key factor that negatively

impacts academic performance. A number of studies in economically developed

countries such as South Korea have shown that over-dependence on smartphones

comes at a cost to the performance of the students. Cheng and Lee (2020)

conducted a survey in Seoul and found out that pupils who spent over four hours a

day on their mobile phones had poor performance outcomes in subjects like
mathematics and science. The decline in performance could be linked to the

students’ excessive engagement on social media websites and mobile gaming which

served as major distractions from focused studying. This type of evidence on the

smartphone usage among students warrants attention globally.

Likewise, in the Philippines, there already exists a phenomenon of

overdependence on mobile phones fostered by the availability of modern

technologies and smartphones. Students from Metro Manila and other urban high

schools are the most severely afflicted by smartphone addiction according to The

Manila Educational Journal (2022). Students from the Excellence in Science and

Mathematics Education Program at the Philippine Science High School voiced

concerns that overuse of smartphones is a significant barrier to class engagement

and academic achievement, especially during assessments. With regards to

smartphone dependency, the document mentioned how faster internet access and

modern devices have worsened the situation. This emphasizes the need for policies

regulating the use of smartphones in schools.

The use of smartphones among students at Sigaboy Agricultural Vocational

High School, particularly those in the Grade 11 ICT Academic Strands, is believed to

hinder their academic performance. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these

students often become distracted during class, diverting their attention to other

activities instead of focusing on the lesson. This issue is consistent with other

findings but also emphasizes the unique challenges faced by rural students, such as

limited access to educational resources and unequal opportunities to use technology

effectively.
 While many studies have explored the link between smartphone usage and

academic achievement, a significant gap remains in understanding the specific

contexts in which smartphone use may be beneficial or detrimental to students'

academic performance. Most studies have focused on generalized usage patterns

without considering factors such as the type of smartphone apps used or the context

of usage (i.e., during study versus leisure time).

Moreover, Smith and Walker (2020) argued that socioeconomic factors play a

role in determining how smartphones impact academic outcomes. Students from

higher-income families may have more access to educational tools on smartphones,

while those from lower-income backgrounds may experience negative effects due to

inappropriate usage patterns.

While in previous studies have examined the relationship between

smartphone usage and academic performance, there remains a significant gap in

understanding the specific contexts and conditions under which smartphone use

either supports or hinders students' academic achievement. Existing research, such

as that by Bennett (2020) and Sung et al. (2021), has explored various aspects of

smartphone usage, but it often overlooks the contextual variables that determine

whether smartphone use has a positive or negative impact on academic outcomes.

Most studies tend to generalize smartphone usage patterns without considering

specific factors such as the type of apps used, the purpose of usage (e.g., academic

versus leisure), or the context in which the device is used (e.g., during study

sessions versus free time).

Furthermore, although some studies, like those by Chua and Dela Cruz

(2020) and Ching and Singh (2020), highlight that smartphones can be beneficial
when used for academic purposes, the potential for distractions, such as social

media and gaming, remains underexplored in terms of their specific effects on

academic performance. Additionally, the issue of smartphone dependency,

particularly in rural settings like Sigaboy Agricultural Vocational High School, has not

been extensively studied, especially with regard to the unique challenges faced by

students in these contexts, such as limited access to educational resources and

unequal opportunities for effective smartphone usage.

Moreover, the impact of smartphone use on cognitive development,

particularly in subjects that require higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), such as

science and mathematics, has not been sufficiently investigated. The studies by

Aljomaa et al. (2024) and Cheng and Lee (2020) provide valuable insights into the

negative consequences of smartphone overuse, but further research is needed to

examine how smartphone dependency influences the development of cognitive skills

across different academic disciplines.

Lastly, while socio-economic factors have been briefly touched upon in

studies like Smith and Walker (2020), the role of income and access to educational

tools on smartphones has not been fully explored, especially in the context of rural

versus urban students. This gap points to the need for further research into how

socio-economic status and access to technology impact the relationship between

smartphone usage and academic performance.

This research aims to focusing on the specific context of Grade 11 ICT

students at Sigaboy Agricultural Vocational High School, investigating how different

types of smartphone usage academic versus non-academic, as well as the role of

socio-economic factors affect their academic performance. Additionally, this study

skills development, particularly in subjects that require critical thinking and problem-

solving abilities.