SPEAKER EUGENIO PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL

Roxas Boulevard, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines

Telephone No.: +6345•779•7657

Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter provides an overview of previous research that discuss relevant

information about the role of smartphones in the learning experiences of learners. Such a
review provides a deeper understanding of the interest of this study by bringing new ideas
and theories.

The Department of Education is making the best use of its resources and power to
provide better education for its client-the learners. They are pouring a large amount of
importance into seminars and training with the goal of improving the skills, and mastery in
teaching and developing effective teaching approaches. Moreover, the Department of
Education is utilizing its financial resources in buying laptops, computers, TV monitors,
and other known digital learning aid that teachers use when it comes to their teaching and
other work tasks. The teachers are maximizing the use of technology with the purpose of
giving students better exposure to the digital world, creating interactive learning, and better
learning environment.

But nowadays, there is an existing debate about whether smartphones can be

utilized as a learning tool for learners and a learning aid for teachers with the purpose of
creating a more effective and efficient learning experience. In the article published by
Loveless (2023) entitled “Using Cellphones as a Learning Tool,” she concluded that cell
phones were once considered a distraction in the classroom but now as the features of
cellphones start adapting the features of a computer, educators have slowly found that
phones can be turned into learning tools. Phones have evolved into micro-computer that
can provide features similar to a computer. Moreover, this article was also supported by
another article entitled “What can you learn from a Cell Phone” published by Prensky
(2018). According to the article, in the past traditional and low-end Cell Phones can only
give you access to calling and texting. But now, modern Cell Phones can be used in many
different ways because of their many features. He concluded that students can learn
"anything" with a cell phone if educators design it right. Cell phones complement the short-

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 SPEAKER EUGENIO PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL
Roxas Boulevard, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines
Telephone No.: +6345•779•7657

burst, casual, multitasking style of today's "Digital Native" learners. Using cell phones as
learning devices, whether in or out of school, requires a good deal of rethinking and
flexibility on the part of educators.

In addition, in the article published by Hammond and Assefa (2019) entitled

“Cellphones in the Classroom,” they share their story in their classroom setting where the
student is able to do their performance task of making an image of a magnetic field using
their smartphones. They use the calculator of the smartphone to compute the length and
width of the magnetic field and use the cameras of the cellphone to picture their image
references. They concluded that smartphones were an excellent learning tool for their
learners when it comes to doing their tasks and even in the learning processes. This article
is similar to the concept of the article entitled “Students' Perception on Use of Technology”
published by Gorra (2018) in which he stated that the learners at Surigao State College Of
Technology are likely to use technology in the classroom for the purpose of positive
consequences supporting the view that use of technology helps in enhancing learning
related activities in the classroom.

But before the cell phone become a micro-computer, cell phones are dominantly
seen as destruction in the classroom. In the past student can only use their cellphone for
messaging and calling and there is no direct relation between the function of the
smartphone when it comes to learning. In the article published by Shellton (2020) entitled
“The distracting effects of a ringing Cell phone,” he stated his findings on the experiment
that was conducted by his group that the ringing sound of a cell phone inside the classroom
can cause a distraction to the teacher and to the students. It can generate negative effects
such as short attention breakdown and loss of focus due to the ringing sound caused by cell
phones.

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 SPEAKER EUGENIO PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL
Roxas Boulevard, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines
Telephone No.: +6345•779•7657

The usage of cell phones inside the classroom is subdivided into many different
arguments, some people perceived smartphones as an effective learning tool and other
people see them as a distraction. In the article published by Lieberman (2019) entitled
“Students Are Using Mobile Even If You Aren’t,” he presented a 2017 Educause survey
on face-to-face experiences of using a cellphone inside the classroom to paint a different
picture. 70 percent of nearly 44,000 students reported that instructors banned or
discouraged the use of smartphones in the classroom, but more than a third of respondents
did report using smartphones in the classroom to make other connections with the material.

The utilization of smartphones inside the classroom is still debatable and it is still
unknown their effectiveness in providing a better learning experience due to the
disadvantages and advantages that a cellphone can give. But as we deepened our
perspective, we can see the potential correlation between smartphones and the learning
experience of the learners. An article published by Shooraibi and Gilavand (2018)
regarding the use of smartphones for learning purposes found that there was a positive
correlation between the use of smartphones for general purposes and the use of them for
learning purposes. They concluded that the use of smartphones for learning purposes or
combining traditional educational approaches and e-teaching methods, including
smartphones, can provide students with more diverse learning opportunities.

As presented in the following literature review section, many research studies have
investigated the role of smartphones in the learning experience of learners in terms of
foreign and local levels. However, most of the studies regarding the role of smartphones
inside the classroom were conducted overseas and studies conducted locally are
scarce. Moreover, the pieces of literature presented not only provides insights into the
potentiality of the smartphone as a learning tool but also provide the disadvantages that the
phone can generate inside the classroom. So, we can conclude, that smartphone
effectiveness in providing better learning skills for learners is still debatable but as we
review the related literature, we find out some theories, insights, and information that can
help us identify the gaps in our research.

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 SPEAKER EUGENIO PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL
Roxas Boulevard, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines
Telephone No.: +6345•779•7657

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

Many researchers have, through recent years, pointed out the role of smartphones
in the learning experience of students. As the use of smartphones affects the students’ lives
not only academically, but also their personal lives. However, the role of smartphones
among Grade 11-HUMSS learners of Speaker Eugenio Perez National Agricultural School
is yet unknown.

Students can use their smartphones to watch interactive lectures for hands-on
learning. Online on apps and websites, there are several instructional videos for every
notion in a subject. Concepts can be learned by seeing them at anytime and anywhere.
According to this research conducted by Ifeanyi and Chukwuere (2018) entitled "The
Impact of Using Smartphones on the Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students".
That there are many ways that smartphones can affect the academic lives of students. The
study concludes with the fact that using smartphones made an impact on students both
positively and negatively. The research shows, in general, that we need to understand that
smartphones improve the social and academic lives of students and they can also cause
decreased performance in academic studies.

Furthermore, according to this research by Sutisna (2020) entitled "An Analysis of the
Use of Smartphones in Students’ Interaction at Senior High School," aims to analyze the
use of smartphones in students’ interaction at senior high school. This study utilizes the
motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), a popular test of self-regulated
learning that is aligned with descriptive qualitative research equipped with observation and
interview techniques to gather needed data. And data present, that smartphones can change
the interaction pattern in associative and dissociative processes. In the associative process,
students create social media groups to communicate, interact, and socialize in order to
make it easier for students to distribute information. Meanwhile, the dissociative process
occurs friction due to misunderstanding in interpreting information when communicating.

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 SPEAKER EUGENIO PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL
Roxas Boulevard, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines
Telephone No.: +6345•779•7657

And another research entitled “Student Perceptions on using cell phones as learning
tools: Implications for mobile technology usage in Caribbean higher education institutions”
by Ahmad, (2020). They examine the students’ perceptions, views, and opinions about the
usage of mobile phones in an educational setting in a higher education institution located
in Jamaica. They used a survey approach for this study that confirms the previous research
studies, which attest that students view the adoption of cell phones in a classroom
environment as an important collaboration, communication, accessing, and information
sharing. Students place a high priority on its use as a source of greater interaction and
encouraging higher levels of engagement. Additionally, they use the capabilities of mobile
technology to enhance and supplement the educational process and facilitate collaboration
outside of the classroom.

Though on the negative side, some research finding presents that mobile use is not
efficient enough for learning and that its usefulness is moderate, although it is above
average in terms of Ease of Use and Self-efficacy. These findings are presented in the
research of Mohammadi Et al., (2020) entitled “Mobile Phone Use in Education and
Learning by Faculty Members of Technical-Engineering Groups” which uses a concurrent
mixed method design aimed to assess faculty members' acceptance of mobile learning. On
the other hand, they believe that mobile learning is accompanied by many challenges and
obstacles, which are above average. These results are in line with Kaliisa and Picard's
research (2017). But the qualitative part of the research deals with the faculty members'
lived experiences in using mobile phones in education. Based on the findings of this part
and its merging and summarization procedures, 17 basic themes were extracted from
interviews with the potential research participants. The extracted basic themes were placed
in three organizing themes including benefits of using mobile phones in education, barriers
and limitations of using mobile phones in education, and necessary infrastructures for
facilitating mobile learning in education.

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 SPEAKER EUGENIO PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL
Roxas Boulevard, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines
Telephone No.: +6345•779•7657

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Figure 1: Theoretical Framework

Figure 1: presents the theoretical framework of the study. The study is anchored on the
theoretical support of the two theories namely; Connectivism Learning Theory, and
Constructivism Learning Theory.

Connectivism Learning Theory by two theorists, George Siemens and Stephen

Downes (2005) supports the theory that knowledge is distributed across networks where
connections and connectedness inform learning. The relevance of this study is that in
connectivism, students should effectively combine ideas, theories, and general knowledge.
It acknowledges that technology specifically smartphones play a significant role in the
learning process and that staying connected all the time allows us to make decisions about
our learning. Additionally, it encourages group participation and conversation, allowing
for various points of view and views when it comes to making decisions, solving problems,
and understanding information. Connectivism encourages learning that takes place in
environments other than a person, such as social media, online communities, blogs, or
knowledge databases.

Constructivism Learning Theory by Jean Piaget (1896-1980). According to

Danielle Jackman(2020) is a student-centered learning theory that is based on cumulatively
building understandings from students’ prior experiences and knowledge. In other words,
to continue the construction analogy, learning becomes a process of constructing new

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 SPEAKER EUGENIO PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL
Roxas Boulevard, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines
Telephone No.: +6345•779•7657

knowledge on the foundation of what is already known. Essentially, it places learning in a

familiar context and aims to translate abstract theories into relatable concepts. This theory
correlates to our study because it talks about the learning experience of the learners. The
role of Smartphones in the learning experience. It stated here that constructivism revolves
around the understanding and experiences of the students, it is inherently a dynamic and
ever-changing process.

This study will determine the role of smartphones in the academic experience of
Grade 11-HUMSS learners. As we can see the independent variable is the variable that can
affect the dependent variable. It means the variable that can affect is smartphones and the
variable that will be affected is the learning experience of the learners. We live in a world
where everything has the influence of technology. Particularly in education, where
technology have a large role in our studies.

Through the use of smartphones, the learning experiences of the learners

will influence.

The use of smartphones is gradually becoming a compelling learning tool used to

enhance teaching and learning in distance education. Its usage ensures flexibility. The
course delivery, and makes it possible for learners to access online learning platforms,
access course resources, and interact digitally.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

DEFINITION OF TERMS For a better understanding of the study, the following terms
were defined conceptual and operationally;

Digital skills. These skills are defined as the ability to find, evaluate, use, share, and create
content using digital devices, such as computers and smartphones.

Inadequacies. It is the failure to be of good enough quality; the feeling of not being good
enough; a fault that makes a standard too low. Smartphones. A mobile phone performs

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 SPEAKER EUGENIO PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL
Roxas Boulevard, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines
Telephone No.: +6345•779•7657

many of the functions of a computer, typically having a touchscreen interface, internet

access, and an operating system capable of running downloaded applications.

Learning Socioeconomic Status - A way of describing people based on their education,

income, and type of job. Socioeconomic status is usually described as low, medium, and
high.

Social Harmony. This is defined as a process of valuing, expressing, and promoting love,
trust, admiration, peace, harmony, respect, generosity, and equity upon other people
in any particular society regardless of their national origin, weight, marital status,
ethnicity, color, gender, race, age, and occupation, etc.

Technology- the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in

industry. "advances in computer technology" machinery and equipment developed from
the application of scientific knowledge.