STUDENTS AND PARENTS PERCEPTION ON THE USE OF MOBILE PHONE AS AN

INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL

Rationale of the Study

Throughout much of the world, the cellular phone has become an integral

communications tool. E-mailing and instant messaging (IM) on cell phones and

computers have become commonplace. These communications tools are readily

accessible and used almost everywhere. In most schools, using of cell-phones during

class hours are strictly prohibited of education policies and procedures. Student’s use of

cell phone is often seen as a waste of time—or even dangerous—and an interference

with the work of teaching and learning. In an era when many parents want constant

access to their children and students live in a digital social milieu, prohibition of cellphones

from schools is increasingly seen as counterproductive and teachers are experimenting

with technology and finding that the miniature computers many students carry in their

pockets can be valuable classroom tools.

According to (Gikas & Grant 2013), students are driving the adoption of mobile

computing devices, such as cellphones, smartphones, and tablet computers, in higher

education, and 67% of surveyed students believe mobile devices are important to their

academic success and use their devices for academic activities. The increased ubiquity

of mobile computing devices on college campuses has the potential to create new options

for higher education students and the exploration of mobility and social media as an

instructional strategy. Furthermore, Winters (2007), Sharples et al. (2007), Traxler (2007,
2010), Cook, Pachler, and Bradley (2008), and Pachler, Bachmeir, and Cook (2010)

identified mobile learning as both formal and informal. Formal learning, by design, is

where learners are engaging with materials developed by a teacher to be used during a

program of instruction in an educational environment, highly structured, institutionally

sponsored, and generally recognized in terms of a certificate or a credit upon completion

(Colley, Hodkinson, & Malcom, 2003; Marsick & Watkins, 1990).

On the other hand, using mobile phone as an instructional tool during class hours

is not actually implemented by all teachers in the Philippines because students will no

longer listen in actual classroom discussion. They will just play, take pictures, surf the

youtube, etc. using their cellphones.

In order for this problem to be addressed, the researcher would like to determine

the perception of the students and parents towards the use of mobile phone as an

instructional tool.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the students and parents perceptions on the use of

mobile phone as an instructional tool. Specifically this study also determines the;

1. What are the positive and negative perceptions of the students on the use of

cell phone as an instructional tool?

2. What are the positive and negative perceptions of parents on the use of cell

phone as an instructional tool?

Significance of the Study

The study will benefit the following:

Students- for them to be aware that using mobile phone in the classroom is

permissible as long as it will be used as an instructional tool.

Teachers- for them to have new strategy in teaching using the mobile phone in

which the most of the students have it.

Parents- for them to guide and monitor their students in school while studying and

to be aware that mobile phone can be used as an instructional tool.