The Impact of Mobile Phone Usage on Academic Performance Among the Grade 7

Students of Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School, Lumasal,

Maasim, Sarangani Province

SOUTHPOINT COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

General Santos City

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Globalization has changed our lives through the innovations of Information and

Communication Technology (ICT). One of the rapid advancements of ICT is the Mobile Phone
(Rabiu et.al 2016). Mobile phones have become an essential part of our daily lives. Nowadays,

mobile phones are considered a basic necessity and act as a vital channel of communication.

According to Rich Ling, the mobile phone has fundamentally affected our society,

accessibility, safety, security, and coordination of social and business activities. It has become

part of the culture of every region in the world. The uses of mobile phones are numerous and this

includes keeping contact with friends, members of the family, conducting business and others.

Cellphones were introduced in the Philippines in the late 60’s made popular initially by

Motorola Philippines. Motorola used the first generation mobile or analog phones but was for

voice calls only. More advanced cellphones emerged in the mid 70's introduced by Nokia Commented [G1]: Inserted: as
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Philippines using features such as text messaging, call waiting, call forwarding, and call hold. Commented [G4]: Deleted:ere
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This started a new breed of mobile users, who made text messaging the cheapest means of
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communicating with everyone in the country. Today, the Philippines is considered as the "Text

Capital" of the world.

The use of mobile phones in the Philippines has brought better information access for

farmers, broader citizen engagement, and link to traffic data for taxi drivers, according to a new Commented [G6]: Inserted: ,

World Bank report (Roa 2012). Today, Filipinos are greatly attached to their mobile phones for

varying reasons- whether for communication, entertainment, or productivity ().

Mobile phones are important in school and also in work; it is the way of interacting,

creating, sharing and exchanging information and ideas to each other (Blumstock & Eagle,

2010). However, despite the numerous advantages of mobile phones, everything should be taken

in moderation. A study has revealed that cellphone usage is bad for students. The result of the
study is not surprising since cellphone usage is linked to the use of apps that can distract students

from school activities or from focusing on the tasks at hand.

Another survey conducted by Japan’s education ministry revealed that school children

who spend more than four hours a day on their mobile phone perform significantly worse on

school tests (Cancio 2014). Although there are benefits for allowing phones at school, the

disadvantages far outweigh the benefits.

Researchers have also discovered that the use of mobile phone in school can cause

several problems. Students who use mobile phones in school lost their focus and attention during

class hours. This type of distraction inhibits the students’ concentration and their learning in

different ways. Thus, this proves that mobile phones may affect the students’ level of academic

performance. These have led the use of mobile phone to undermine the schools’ authority and

weaken their control over students (Jumoke et. al 2008).

Research on the influence of mobile phone in schools today has not been given much

attention, thus the aim of this research is to assess the impact of mobile phones on the students'

academic performance. This study will also serve as a reference for researchers who are Commented [G7]: Inserted: o
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interested in conducting a study related to this undertaking.

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of mobile phone usage on academic

performance among the grade 7 students in Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School, Lumasal,

Maasim, Sarangani Province.

Specifically, this study sought to answer the ff. questions: Commented [G9]: Inserted: ,

1. What is the profile of Grade 7 students in Anecito Lopez Sr. National High School in terms of

1.1 Age
1.2 Gender
1.3 Economic Status

2. What are the different types of mobile phones used by the students?

2.1 According to Brand

2.2 Type of Network
2.3 Loading Preference

3. What is the school performance of the grade 7 students in Anecito Lopez Sr. National High

School as perceived by their:

3.1 School Attendance

3.2 Compliance of the School Work
3.3 Timeliness

4. Based on the results of the study, what improvement can be done to grade 7 students regarding

the usage of mobile phones?

5. Is there a significant difference between the academic performance of students without mobile

phones and students with mobile phones?

Null Hypothesis

This study is designed to assess the hypothesis that there is no significant difference on the

influence of mobile phone usage on their academic performance among grade 7 students of

Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School, Maasim, Sarangani Province. Commented [G10]: Inserted: a
Commented [G11]: Deleted:s

Theoretical Framework

The mobile phone has fundamentally affected our society, accessibility, safety and security,

coordination of social and business activities. It has become the part of the culture of every

region in the world. Commented [G12]: Inserted: the

There is the conflicting priority of young people, parents, and teachers in relation to the mobile

phone device, with teachers more concerned about issues such as discipline in the classroom and

parents worried about means of contacting their children at every point of time. According to the

majority of research done so far, it was discovered that the use of mobile phone in schools is

problematic. Commented [G13]: Inserted: the

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The theoretical perspectives of this research study are based on the premise that:

 Mobile phone usage

  Supervision of Parents

 Classroom rules

 Policy of the school

Conceptual Framework

This study aimed to gather information relating to the impact of mobile phone usage on the

academic performance among grade 7 students in Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School,

Lumasal, Maasim, Sarangani Province.

The illustration presented on Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study.

Impact on their Academic

Mobile Usage of Grade 7 Students
Performance in School
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Figure 1.1 Conceptual Paradigm of the Study

Significance of the Study

The mobile phone has gained immeasurable ground in the lives of the students all over Commented [G15]: Inserted: The m
Commented [G17]: Deleted:M
the world and research on the influence of mobile phone in schools today has not been given

much attention, thus the aim of this research is to assess the impact of mobile phones on the

students' academic performance. Commented [G16]: Inserted: o

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 This study intends to promote awareness of the impacts of mobile usage on the academic

performance of the students.

The findings of the study may help parents to supervise their children and limit their

children’s exposure and usage of mobile phones to help them focus on their studies.

This study may help teachers and professors to impose the classroom rules to minimize

the mobile usage that may affect the students’ learning.

This research may act as a basis for the schools to endorse the policy of regarding the

usage of mobile phones within the school premises.

This research will also serve as a reference for researchers who are interested in

conducting a study related to this undertaking.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The scope of the study is to focus mainly on the impacts of mobile usage on the students’

academic performance among grade 7 students of Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School,

Lumasal, Maasim, Sarangani Province.

The study is limited to the respondents that are high school students and are enrolled in

Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School for the school year 2017-2018.

Questionnaires will be utilized in the conduct of this study which covers the respondents’

profile, the different types of mobile phones used by the students and the frequency of mobile

usage and the school performance of grade 7 students.

Definition of Terms

Mobile phone – is a wireless handheld device that allows users to make calls and send text

messages, among other features.

Mobile phone usage –

Academic Performance – is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved

their short or long term educational goals.

Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

 Mobile phones have become an almost essential part of daily life since their rapid growth

in popularity in the late 1990s. A nationwide survey conducted in 2010 shows that mobile

phones are the most necessary medium of communication for adolescents. It has become a part

of the culture of the whole world. Commented [G19]: Inserted: the

Mobile Phone

Mobile phones are telephones that are generally portable. It is a long-range, portable electronic

device used for mobile communication. However, a cellphone is a term that we use nowadays to Commented [G20]: Inserted: a

call a cellular phone. This is the name given to portable phones that use cellular technology. The

early mobile phones provide basic calling and texting functionality. However, as technology

progress, more functionality was added. To differentiate the basic mobile phones and the ones

with more functionality, the term smartphone is now used worldwide (Yu 2014). A Smart phone

is a mobile phone with an advanced mobile operating system that combines feature of a personal

computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use.

According to Rich Ling, the mobile phone has fundamentally affected our society, accessibility,

safety, security, and coordination of social and business activities. It has become part of the

culture of every region in the world. The uses of mobile phones are numerous and this includes

keeping contact with friends, members of the family, conducting business and others.

Mobile Phone Brands in the Philippines

Filipinos are known as avid cellphone lovers. We bring our mobile phones wherever we go. We

use it in our daily activities and to communicate with the people we love. Here in the Philippines,

these are the Top 10 Best Mobile Phone Brands in 2017 (Prado 2017):

1. Xaomi

2. Samsung

3. Oppo

4. Apple

5. Asus

6. Sony

7. Lenovo

8. LG

9. Cherry Mobile

10. CloudFone and MyPhone

Mobile Network

Mobile networks are available almost all over the Philippines. In most places, only GPRS or

GSM technology is available, while G3 (UTMS) networks are accessible only in the big urban

areas of Manila, Cebu, and Davao. Commented [G21]: Inserted: ,

Commented [G22]: Inserted: ,

The following is the list of the mobile service providers here in the Philippines:

 Globe Telecom
 Globe is the country's provider of the largest 4G Network. Their core services are mobile

voice (which can be used in local, national, and international long distance call services)

and mobile SMS (for local and international offerings). It also holds prepaid brands such

as Globe Prepaid (targeted for mainstream market) and TM (for value-conscious market).

Globe also offers mobile data which allows subscribers for internet usage.

 TM (Touch Mobile)

TM is a cellular service brand of Globe. It is meant to cater to the middle-income market

including the lower-income groups too. They have affordable text and call promo offers Commented [G23]: Inserted: -

which enable customers to communicate to other SIM-users at an affordable price. TM

offers call cards, mobile internet, easy plan, and sim cards.

 ABS-CBN Mobile

ABS-CBN Mobile is a mobile operator owned by the ABS-CBN Convergence Inc., a

subsidiary of media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. This uses Globe’s

infrastructures through a network-sharing agreement. It offers prepaid and postpaid SMS,

voice, data, landline connection, and access to exclusive contents of the i WANT TV app.

 Smart Communications

Smart is known to have introduced “the world’s first electronic prepaid reloading service

and the first 4G service in the Philippines." Smart offers prepaid, postpaid, internet

service, mobile data, and other mobile plans in the country. Smart is also the operator

behind Talk N Text (low-cost mobile service) and Sun Cellular.

  Talk N Text (TNT)

Talk N Text (TNT) is the low-cost mobile service offered by Smart. It offers multiple

services in Internet, load, SMS, and other value-added services such as music, games, and

downloads. It also released a new line in landline units called “Barangay Phone” that can

text and call anywhere in the Philippines, which also functions as a community phone in

centers.

 Sun Cellular

Sun Cellular is another mobile service that is owned by PLDT which is also the operator

of Smart. Sun Cellular is known for being the one which introduced unlimited text and call

services in the Philippines. It offers voice, messaging, and international roaming services,

wireless broadband, and value-added services meant to cater to its market.

Load Preference

When buying a mobile number in the Philippines you can choose between prepaid and post-pay

contracts. The prepaid mobile card is the most convenient solution if you don’t plan to make Commented [G24]: Inserted: The p
Commented [G25]: Deleted:P
many phone calls. Extremely cheap mobile cards (or sim cards) are available all across the

country. A post-paid mobile account is the best option if you use your phone for work or make

many calls. This kind of contract has a limited number of free minutes; text messages etc., and

charges the user a flat rate for any usage above that limit. The user is billed at the end of each

month.
Students’ Performance in School

Related Studies

Rabiu, H. et.al 2016 has conducted a study that employed a survey design in investigating

the influence of mobile phone usage on academic performance among secondary school students

in Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria. The sample population of the study was 300 respondents that

were selected from the total population of 6,482 students. This study revealed that mobile phone

usage significantly influenced the academic performance among male and female senior

secondary school students. The age difference was not a significant factor in mobile phone usage Commented [G26]: Inserted: The a
Commented [G27]: Deleted:A
on their academic performance among secondary school students. The parents’ occupation was

also not a significant factor in mobile phone usage on academic performance among senior

secondary school students. The frequency of mobile phone usage does not significantly influence

academic performance among male and female senior secondary school students.

Another study was conducted by Soyemi Jumoke et. al 2015. This research work

examines phone usage and identified the effects internet enabled mobile phones to have on the

academic performance of students at the tertiary institutions using the Federal Polytechnic

students of Ilaro, Ogun State in Nigeria as a case study. The research work was performed so as Commented [G28]: Inserted: to

to understand and also find the correlation between academic performance of students and the

usage of mobile phone during class hours which is general believed to be an avenue of
distractions to students. The information from this work was carried out using structured

questionnaires administered to 45 students to get their individual views. In addition, 15 extensive

interviews were done concurrently to have a grounded knowledge of the students with the data Commented [G29]: Inserted: ,

gathered during the course of this study. Their findings indicated that students are influenced

negatively to the great extent by the mobile phone because attention is focused on chatting,

music, and others while their academic activities are neglected and left to suffer. Also, this study

discovered that the use of mobile phone is uncontrollable among students which are leading

cause of poor academic performance. Commented [G30]: Inserted: ,

Lepp, A., Barkley, J., Karpinski, A. 2015 conducted a research based on the relationship

between cell phone use and academic performance in a sample of U.S. College Students. This

study assessed the relationship between cell phone use and actual college grade point average

(GPA) after controlling for known predictors. As such, 536 undergraduate students from 82 self-

reported majors’ at large, public university were sampled. A hierarchical regression

demonstrated that cell phone use was significantly and negatively related to actual college GPA

after controlling for demographic variables, self-efficacy for self-regulated learning, self-

efficacy for academic achievement, and actual high school GPA, which were all significant

predictors. Thus, after controlling for other established predictors, increased cell phone use was

associated with decreased academic performance. Although more research is needed to identify

the underlying mechanisms, findings suggest a need to sensitize students and educators about the

potential academic risks associated with high-frequency cell phone use.

 According to John-Harmen Valk, Ahmed T. Rashid, Laurent Elder 2010 who conducted

the study of using mobile phones to improve Educational Outcomes: An Analysis of Evidence

from Asia. This study reviews the evidence of the role of the mobile phone-facilitated learning in Commented [G31]: Inserted: s

contributing to improved educational outcomes in the developing countries of Asia by exploring

the results of six mLearning pilot projects that took place in the Philippines, Mongolia, Thailand,

India and Bangladesh. In particular, this article examines the extent to which the use of mobile

phones helped to improve educational outcomes in two specific ways: 1) in improving access to

education, and 2) in promoting new learning. Analysis of the projects indicates that while there is

important evidence of mobile phones facilitating increased access, much less evidence exists as

to how mobiles promote new learning.

Farley, H. et. al 2015 conducted a study of how do students use their mobile devices to

support learning -a case study from an Australian Regional University. Though universities are

eager to leverage the potential of mobile learning to provide learning flexibility, most balk at the

cost of providing students with mobile hardware. The practice of “bring your own device”

(BYOD) is often mooted as a cost-effective alternative. This paper provides a snapshot of

student ownership of mobile devices at a regional Australian university. Our research shows that

students do have access to and use a wide range of devices. However, the delivery of learning is

challenged when students try to access materials and activities using these devices. Course

materials are rarely optimized for use on smart phones, navigating websites and learning

management systems become a scrolling nightmare, and interacting with other students is often

impractical using prescribed systems. Most concerning is that none of the students surveyed were

participating in educator-led mobile learning initiatives. The paper concludes with the proposal
of some practical, low-cost tactics that educators could potentially employ to begin engaging

with mobile learning, leveraging what students already do.

Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design
 This study is a descriptive type of research. The researcher will use this research design

to define and obtain information on the impacts of mobile phone usage on the students’ academic

performance among grade 7 students in Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School, Lumasal,

Maasim. Questionnaires and interview will be the key instruments for collecting data. The

collected data will be recorded and analyzed to determine the impacts of mobile phone usage on

the students’ academic performance.

Sample Population and Research Locale

The research will be conducted in Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School, Lumasal, Maasim

Province which is located in Southeastern Mindanao between 05°52′N and 125°00′E (Figure ).
The respondents of the study will be the grade 7 students of Anecito Lopez Sr., National High

School. There is an estimate of 200 grade 7 students that are presently enrolled for the school

year 2017-2018. Commented [G32]: Inserted: are

Commented [G33]: Deleted:is

Sampling Design

Stratified random sampling method will be used in this study so that each individual will have an

equal and independent chance of being selected. The researcher will pick random 50 respondents

from the whole population.

Research Design Instrument

A structured questionnaire will be used to gather information from the respondents. The Commented [G34]: Inserted: A s
Commented [G35]: Deleted:S
questionnaires were designed in 3 sections. Section ‘A’ consist of the respondents’ socio-

demography, section ‘B’ contain questions based on the set objectives and the research

hypothesis and section ‘C’ contain records of student performance accordingly. The

questionnaire is a close ended one, whereby respondents were only allowed to choose their

answers from the boxes provided.

Data Gathering Procedure

The data for this research will be collected using a survey questionnaire. The survey was created

using suitable questions modified from related research and individual questions formed by the

researcher.

Fifty (50) copies of the questionnaires will be produced and administered by the researcher to the

randomly selected students in Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School. The selected

respondents will be asked to fill up or answer the questionnaire given. To minimize the errors in

the completion of the questionnaire, the questions on the questionnaires particularly the difficult

ones will be explained by the researcher to the respondents.

Data Processing Method

All of the questionnaires will be collected and the answers of the respondents will be tabulated

and recorded. The results will then be analyzed and interpreted.

Statistical Treatment

The researcher will use Descriptive, Correlation, Cross Tabs and ANOVA (Analysis of

Variance).

The Impact of Mobile Phone Usage on Their Academic Performance among Grade
7 Students Of Anecito Lopez Sr., National High School, Lumasal
General Instruction: The survey questionnaire is designed for the high school students in
General Santos City. Your honest answer to the questionnaire is vital to the success of the
survey.

Part 1. Students Profile Data

Please fill and tick ( ) as appropriate in the space provided:

1. Age: [ ] 12 and below [ ] 13 [ ] 14 [ ] 15 [ ] 16 and above

2. Occupation of Mother: ______________________ Average Monthly Income: ________________

[ ] Below P5,000 [ ] P5-7,000 [ ]P8-10,000 [ ] P10-15,000

Occupation of Father: ______________________ Average Monthly Income: ________________

[ ] Below P5,000 [ ] P5-7,000 [ ]P8-10,000 [ ] P10-15,000

3. Gender: [ ] Female [ ] Male

4. Tribe: [ ] Cebuano [ ] Ilocano [ ] Blaan

[ ] Tboli [ ] Bisaya [ ] Ilonggo [ ] Others: _____________

5. Religion: [ ] Catholic [ ] SDA [ ] Iglesia ni Cristo [ ] Others: _____________

[ ] Muslim [ ] Protestant [ ] Alliance

Part 2. Mobile Phone

1. Do you have access to mobile phone? [ ] Yes [ ] No

2. If yes, how do you get access to it? [ ] Own/ Personal [ ] Parents [ ] Friends

3. Which brand of cell phone do you use?

[ ] Xaomi [ ] Samsung [ ] Oppo [ ] Apple [ ] Asus
[ ] Sony [ ] Lenovo [ ] LG [ ] Cherry Mobile [ ] Cloudfone
[ ] MyPhone [ ] Others : ________________

4. What type of network do you use?

[ ] Globe [ ] Touch Mobile [ ] Smart [ ] Talk N Text [ ] Sun Cellular

5. What types of load do you usually use?

[ ] Prepaid [ ] Postpaid

6. Why do you use a mobile phone?

[ ] Call and Text [ ] Gaming [ ] Browsing [ ] Facebook [ ] Research

7. How frequently do you use your mobile phone daily? Commented [G36]: Inserted: ly
 [ ] 1-2 hours [ ] 3-4 hours [ ] Half day [ ] Whole Day [ ] once a week

8. Do you bring your mobile phone at school? [ ] Yes [ ] No

9. Is the use of mobile phones in the school premises prohibited or allowed? [ ] Allowed [ ] Prohibited

Part 3. Students’ Academic Performance

1. Do you attend your classes every day? [ ] Often [ ] Rarely [ ] Not Often

2. How many absences do you normally have each month? [ ] 1-2 Days [ ] 3-5 Days [ ] 5 &more
(Based on past experiences)

3. Do you go to school on time? [ ] Early [ ] On time [ ] Late

4. Do you participate in school activities? [ ] Often [ ] Rarely [ ] Not Often

5. Do you participate in class recitation and discussion? [ ] Often [ ] Rarely [ ] Not Often

6. Do you submit your assignments and project on time? [ ] Yes [ ] No

7. How many hours do you spend on studying? Commented [G37]: Inserted: n

[ ] I do not study [ ] 1-2 Hours/day [ ] 2 Hours and above Commented [G38]: Deleted:f
Commented [G39]: Deleted:r
8. Do you excel/pass the daily quizzes or examination? [ ] Pass [ ] Fail [ ] Average

9. Do you perform better in school with the help of your mobile phone? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Date:_________
Dear Respondents:

Greetings!
I am a student from South Point College of Arts and Technology - Gensan, as a
requirement for our course, I am currently conducting a research about the impacts of
mobile phone usage on academic performance among grade 7 students of Anecito
Lopez Sr., National High School.
In line with this, I have chosen you to be one of my respondents of this study and I hope
that you will take time answering the questions honestly. Rest assured that all data
gathered will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will be used for academic
purposes only.
I am looking forward to a friendly response to this request. Thank you for your
cooperation. Commented [G40]: Inserted: t
Commented [G41]: Deleted:f
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Sincerely yours,

Shielamie A. Basañez
The Researcher

Noted By:

Melinda Cartojano MST

Research Adviser