“Unveiling the Digital Divide: Cellphone Usage and Its Influence on Senior High

Student’s Academic Achievement at Kananga National High School-Senior High

School Department”

Researcher:

Tumampo, Catheline

Alburo, Rodmark

Navares, Angelene

Almaden, Christine

Pabilan, Mary Ann

Sanchez, Harvey

Go, Rica Mae

Borrel, Zyra

Ymas, Herminieh

Dacuyan, Eduardo

Pagtacunan, Jhon Andrie

Glino, Carl Jayson

 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the background of the study, the statement of the problem,

the scope and delimitation of the study, and the significance of the study.

Background of the Study

Today, advancement is rapidly enhancing, in particular, cell phones. The use of

cell phones has taken on new dimensions, and these gadgets have become the order of

the day with senior high school students. Cellphones with outstanding communication

features have become indispensable tools of communication in societies and

economies. Nonetheless, the practice in use, especially in the educational system, has

raised some concerns. Teachers are always in a fix as to how to manage their students

when they have their cell phones with them. In the same way, parents also find cell

phones important for connecting them with their children. This divergence of attitude

merely points to a chronic problem. To establish the effects of phone usage on students'

academic performance and behavior. However, it has its advantages to be constantly

connected to the world, and, certainly, there should be research on how the students’

performance is affected by the use of cellphones.

Self-regulation is exhibited by a student, and the nature of the interaction

between the two is controlled by the student. In their study, Ma et al. (2023) noted that
students with better self-regulation capability can reduce the effect of the use of a cell

phone during class. Also stressing the need to educate students on discipline in this era

so that they can be in a position to handle the distractions of technological

advancement.

Though taking phones out of the calculations might be the way forward, it might

not be enough. That is why Gajdics and Jagodics (2022) demonstrate that cell phones

can be safety items and potentially components of avoidant solutions to unsettling

thoughts, which might decrease anxiety and increase focus for at least some learners.

Thus, the authors found that, while using the phone, students felt comfortable, and they

were more worried when the phone was not around, which implies that there is a kind of

affective bond with the device.

Second to distraction during a class is the content. It was found by Deepa et al.

(2022) that distraction arises from the degree of interaction with the information, here

social networks, not from how often one unlocks their phone. This distinction is

important to make when considering classroom management interventions that are

aimed not at banning the objects in question but at modifying their usage. To their

surprise, the work that was done showed that students who deal with attention control

were more effective in dealing with interferences and their detrimental impact.

However, the technological device makes it hard to imagine the lives of senior

high school students without cell phones. It has advantages, including the ability to find

information easily, and disadvantages, including a high degree of distraction in the

process of education. This study seeks to discuss the use of these devices in learning
institutions, particularly the negative effects they have on students’ performance and

conduct. It’s important to understand this relationship, especially as schools and parents

try to establish how connected their children should be while in school.

This study is critical in knowing how students are performing, their focus, and

their behavior concerning the use of cell phones in the school to recommend how the

gadgets should be controlled. It calls for student independence in managing their

distractions while encouraging the use of technology in the learning process.

Consequently, the findings are intended to be educational and propose solutions in

terms of educational practices that reconcile connection and academics.

The main objective of this study is to examine how cellphone usage affects the

academic performance of senior high school students at Kananga National High

School-Senior High School Department. It seeks to decide whether or not cellular phone

use impairs students' capability to pay attention to their studies, decreasing their grades,

or whether it might be a beneficial tool, bearing in mind access to records and

conversations with classmates and teachers, possibly enhancing their educational

experience.

Statement of the Problem

Mobile phones, or cell phones, were not as popular among users a decade ago

as they are now. Especially among Grade 11 and 12 students. The gadget is owned by

an average school student, which may benefit the student's academic performance.
This study aims to investigate the effects of cellphone usage on the academic

performance of senior high school students at Kananga National High School-Senior

High School Department.

Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. How does cellphone use for educational purposes compare to non-educational

purposes in terms of academic performance among senior high school students?

2. How does excessive cellphone use affect the academic performance of senior high

school students?

3. What is the average number of hours per day that senior high student use their

cellphone?

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study will be implemented in the Kananga National High School-Senior High

School Department. The main participants in this study are senior high school students

enrolled in academic 2024–2025. The research adopted a quantitative design. The

primary aim of this type of study is to find out the effect of using a cellphone and

whether it will affect his or her academic performance. The participation of any

individuals who do not own a cellphone will be terminated. Therefore, only if students

were owners of a cellphone could they provide information regarding academic results.
 Participants without cellphones will be excluded from the study. It is only students

who own cellphones that can offer some insight into academic performance in relation

to excessive use of cellphones. Those who do not own them are not included so as to

have a true representation of the effect that using a mobile phone has on education.

Significance of the Study

This study is being conducted to benefit the following:

Students. This research might serve as a reminder and guidance for students

regarding how they can control their addiction to cellphones, and they'll be able to

understand how it affects their studies.

Educators. This research will help teachers know what the right thing to do is to prohibit

the students from bringing their cellphones to school.

Administrator and Staff. This research will assist them in planning a program where

students will receive guidance using cellphones.

Future Researchers. This study will serve as a helpful resource for researchers who

want to conduct any necessary research, particularly about the effects of cellphones on

their users.

Research Hypothesis

I. Null:

There is no significant relationship between students who use cellphones for

educational purposes and those who use them for non-educational purposes.

Alternative:

There is a significant relationship between students who use cellphones for

educational purposes and those who use them for non-educational purposes.

II. Null:

There is no significant effect of excessive cellphone use on the academic

performance of senior high school students.

Alternative:

There is a significant relationship between excessive cellphone use and the

academic performance of senior high school students.

III. Null:
 There is no significant effect between students academic performance and how

frequently they use their cellphones.

Alternative:

There is a significant relationship between students academic performance and

how frequently they use their cellphones.

I. Theoretical Framework

Figure 1: Theories for Cellphone Usage and Its Influence on Senior High Students

Academic Achievement.

This study was based primarily on the constructivist theory of Plaget and

Vygotsky, the compensatory internet use theory of Kramer and Winter, and the role of

smartphones in academic learning of Tikoria and Agariya.

According to constructivist theory, as articulated by Piaget and Vygotsky,

learning can be regarded as the process by which the learner actively constructs

knowledge through experience. Concerning the use of smartphones, this theory

presupposes that these technologies can become influential instruments for building

knowledge and developing mental advancements if applied properly. Thus, cellphones,

when used appropriately, have the potential to improve students’ performance by

enhancing active learning.

Besides, Compensatory Internet Use Theory, as developed by Krämer and

Winter (2014), looks at how people utilize technology to fulfill unmet needs or deal with

unfavorable occurrences. This theory makes it possible to understand why some

learners will prefer to use their cellphone excessively due to pressure at school or other

social factors. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend this theory when studying how

such excessive use might affect academic performance, if not well handled.

Moreover, Tikoria and Agariya’s (2017) perception of the role of smartphones in

academic learning and Emerson & Berge's (2018) are among some of the articles that

explain the dynamism of change through the use of smartphones as well as other

mobile technologies in learning. It brings into focus the capacity of such mobile devices

as the smartphone to either facilitate learning through the acquisition of knowledge and

other learning resources or hamper learning if improperly used or utilized

inappropriately. Altogether, these theories provide a comprehensive approach to

categorizing the impact of the various uses of smartphones on the academic

performance of senior high school students, in both positive and negative ways, and

help students design more efficient and practical uses of smartphones that will indeed

support their learning objectives.

II. Conceptual Framework
 Study Habits

Academic Cellphone
Achievement Usage

Focus and Level of Time

Concentration Engagement Management

This conceptual framework assumes a moderating variable; study habits is a

fundamental aspect that may affect students’ performance, especially in their

examinations. Internet connections using cellphones can make students get distracted

easily, especially when involved in social networks or playing games. These interferes

with the student learning and learning processes, hence hindering the student’s ability

to learn and perform well academically.

Moreover, such poor time management, as can be linked to the use of

cellphones, often leads to poor planning of study time and poor organization of tasks.

When the students fail to organize themselves as to when they should do their studies,

they usually end up submitting their work late, and their studies are poor. Consequently,

it becomes relevant to both increase the cellphone usage and decrease the distractions

in the learner’s environment and ways to plan time effectively for studying and

accomplishing assignments for getting the best results at school.

Definition of Terms

CellPhone Usage. The degree and manners of cell phone usage by students with

regards to school and non-school-related activities.

Academic performance. The quantitative aspect of a student’s performance in various

subjects that is usually portrayed as scores or grades.

Excessive Use. Consequently, the inappropriate use of mobile phones up to the point

when it disrupts a learner in terms of academic assignments can have adverse effects

on their performance during class periods.

Educational Uses. Such actions include using cellphones for education purposes like

downloading learning apps, reading e-books, and participating in online discussion

forums for learning.

Non-Education Purposes. These are tasks performed using a phone as tools not

related to academics, such as browsing through social media, gaming, and watching

videos.

Self-discipline is a measure of how well students are able to control themselves, i.e.,

resist cellphone use during study time.

Teacher strategies. Classroom management techniques used by teachers, especially

those referring to the proper handling of students’ cell phone usage in schools.
Distraction. Other reasons apart from school work can take many forms, including the

use of phones.