The Impact of Smartphone on Students Academic Performance in English Language Learning at Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria: A Case Study of Alvan Ikoku Federal

The Impact of Smartphone on Students Academic Performance in English Language Learning at Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria: A Case Study of Alvan Ikoku Federal

Dr. Diala Edwin Lionel¹, Dr. Ubah Florence Ebere¹, Dr. Uwadiegwu Chnedozi Iheoma²

¹Department of Languages and Humanities, Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri

²Department of English & Literacy Studies, Faculty of  Humanities, Imo State University, Owerri

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.803160S

Received: 29 April 2024; Received: 10 May 2024; Accepted: 13 May 2024; Published: 31 July 2024

ABSTRACT

This study examines the impart of Smartphone on Students Academic performance English language learning in Tertiary Institutions at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri. The study surveys how the use of Smart phones affects interactive processes in classrooms and its implications for the students learning process. The study was guided by four research questions. The findings reveal that there is habitual use of Smartphone by the students for various purposes during lesson hours for chatting, playing games, listening to music, making and receiving calls; and that the female students use the mobile phone more frequently than their male counterparts during lesson hours. On the basis of the finding, this study outlines the implications of using Smart phones by students and suggests the way forward. The significance of this paper for the Nigerian educational system is that if its recommendations are implemented, the positive effects of mobile phone usage will then overshadow its negative effects

Keywords: Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Smartphone, Students, Positive Effects, Adverse Effects

INTRODUCTION

Communication is a major driver of any society. Emerging trends in socio-political growth shows a high premium being placed on information and communication technology (ICT) by homes, institutions and nations. Nigeria is not left out in this race for rapid development as the nation’s socio-political growth has been subjected to years of social reversal via mismanagement and bad leadership.

The deregulation policy of government as introduced in 1992, resulted in the deregulation policy of the telecommunication sector, with decree 75 of 1992 (as amended by Decree 30 of 1998) which established National Communications Commission (NCC) which facilitates entry into markets for telecommunications services process applications and gives licenses to private communication companies and regulates their operations in the country. The deregulation of telecommunication led to the emergence of private communication companies that provide Smartphone services to the people.

Some of the companies that provides communication services include; MTN, Zain, Globacom, Etisalat etc. These communication companies have subscribers running into millions including civil servants, business people, students, military and paramilitary and other people from all walks of life. The introduction of Smartphone has revolutionized the communication industry in Nigeria and the world over. Both the poor and the rich now use telephone in the contemporary day.

Background of Study

Smart phones device have become essential part of daily life and a valuable means of information dissemination. The use of Smart phones among students is very important but its habitual use is associated with deviant behaviours, distraction, and loss of attention. The emergence of Smart phones in Nigeria, with internet services has brought about a profound and diverse pool of knowledge. However, Etukudo (2019) notes that it has also inadvertently lead to circumscribed student’s commitment to serious academic work, negatively impacted their thinking processes, communication and language skills. Owning Smart phones has social, economic, psychological and educational consequences on the students as it has the power to influence their attitude and behaviour to academic activities of the school.

The utilization of Smartphone is advancement among university students has become rapid. A look in and around Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri Nigeria shows a high-quality number of students either standing or sitting fumbling their Smart phones searching to access the internet. Currently, Smart phones has become an essential part of everyday life routine of a large number of students. A wealth of information available online and rising availability of recent devices like Smart phones, it seems that the present day undergraduate does not use other sources quite often for research. Use of Smart phones has resulted to changes in the manner students of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri Nigeria use and access information for social and academic activities.

Its benefits include; accessibility, cost effectiveness, portability, employment generation, entertainment, instant delivery of messages and various business transactions. The effect is that the use of Smart phones has posed challenges to university students. \Student commitments to classroom work desirable at every time, be it in the lecture room, during training or while practicing. Smart phones provide for new educational opportunities to students used for progressed online searches and become most widely used mobile communication device to date. Smart phones mobile device allows students Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri Nigeria to enhance their level of learning, knowledge and academics. It has improved their access to learning facilities and provided easy method of teaching and learning.

As a result of the above, Smart phones are distinguished from other types of mobile phones in terms of operation and its well equipped with features and digitalized capabilities. It allows for socializing on Facebook, viewing and posting videos on YouTube.

In this study Smart Phone is defined as a cell phone and handheld computer that creates maximum teaching technology since the creation of internet. It has high level of connectivity. It allows for instant access to online database despite the location. Smart phones allow the users access to the internet. It is an electronic mobile device.  Smart phones make available text messaging, email, web browsing, still and video cameras, MP3 players, and video playback and calling.

At present, students depend without reservations on what they gather from the web. Reyes (2006) argued “that the internet and its search engines have created expectations that digital content is seamless and accessible”. Students look forward to getting every required information with little effort. Smart phones has drastically affected and influenced this information seeking behaviour of students as a result of Smart phones embracing and adopting impact on students in Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri Nigeria.

As Smart phones becomes more popular among students of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri Nigeria, it appears that services quality has been compromised and has become a source of concern among them. There have been complaints of poor internet connectivity and wireless network services qualities. A lot of of these devices are of a very poor quality which often breaks down with impunity. In Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri Nigeria, internet connectivity is not wide spread. Fast and reliable connectivity are not well spread within the University campus. You cannot access the internet in every location within the university campus.

This study is anchored on gratifications theory. Gratification theory has become the most popular and important approach to the study of mass communication (Swanson 1979). Also some contemporary communication theorists argue that the theory has made substantial contributions to our understanding of the mass communication process. The gratification theory is audience centred, asking what people do with media, rather than what the media do to the people. It attempts to explain why people use the mass media as well as the uses and functions of the media for individuals, groups, and society in general. Rubin (1985) states that uses and gratification theory is grounded in a “functional paradigm of social influence”. Folarin (2011) was of the opinion that the theory is basically concerned with the questions of who uses which media, which content, and for what reasons. The theory is concerned with the kind of media, the people use, how they use them and the gratification they expect from its usage. West and Turner (2014) state that the theory is an extension of needs and motivation theory propounded by Abraham Maslow. His hierarchy of needs theory states that, satisfying one needs gives rise to another. This theory is very necessary because it relates to the study, which is the use of Smartphone services by students.

There is empirical evidence that suggest that students of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri Nigeria have become so obsessed with Smart phones that make them feel that life cannot be the same without the device close to them. In places of worship, along the road, in market places, they plug the ear piece to their Smartphones and give attention to more on their digital devices than anything else. This study examines the impart of Smartphone on Students Academic performance English language learning in Tertiary Institutions at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri..

Statement of the Problem

Adenya and Oyeyinka-Oyelran (2012) opine that school authorities have witnessed the astronomical increase in the use of Smartphone by students in recent time. This scenario has been a syndrome in the tertiary institutions. Arbitrary Smartphone usage by the students nowadays is among the human factors which are usually bedeviled educational system with constraints. Some constraints associated with this phenomenon are inattentiveness, disruption, and distraction which in no small amount effect effective learning, achievement and learning retention. Closely associated to these, is the use of Smartphone which causes noise and distraction during the lecture hour. It is also observed that students are addicted to their Smartphone which they incessantly use at home, on campus, and on the road at the expense of their academic performance and health generally. This study is therefore out to explore the effect of Smartphone usage on year one students of a University: A Case of Federal University of Technology Owerri.

Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to assess the impact of Smartphone on Students Academic performance English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri.

Specifically, the objectives of the study include:

1. To determine the impact of Smartphone on Students Academic performance English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri.
2. To find out the benefits for the use of Smartphones by students on performance English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri.
3. To determine the use of Smartphone impart on students performance in English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri

Research Questions

Furthermore, to address the research objectives and tackling the problem statement, the following research questions were explored:

1. To what extent does the \ Smartphone impact on Students Academic performance English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri?
2. To what extent does Smartphones benefits students in their performance English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri?
3. To what extent does the use of Smartphone impart on students performance in English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri?

Justification for the Study

This study is reflected on significant on the survey that would help the Smart phones users and others who are yet to join the race to recognize the benefits of the device as an educational and social tool in the educational development of the students of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri Nigeria. Smart phones mobile devices are used as educational opportunities for students’ easier access to course programmes. It is important to recognize that its uses make students of the university to improve in their studies. Furthermore, it is essential to carry out survey to determine how Smart phones motivate the academic performance of students. The study would find out the benefits of students’ use of Smart phones in the university. The study will also determine the problems the students encounter using the Smart phones devices.

Major Concept

Portability of Smartphone as a Convenient Means of Learning for Students

Students happen to be interested in ways they can learn and at the same time have their attention captivated. They may be provided with autonomy over their educational experience (Buck et al., 2013) and access to standard learning contents and opportunities (Day & Erturk, 2017). As a matter of fact, one of the most important features of the ever evolving features of the Smartphone is its small or rather portable size and its ability to be used not only in the classroom, but also outside the classroom (Mokoena, 2012). This offers an edge over the traditional platform for learning and teaching, which deals with books and chalk/marker boards behind the four walls of education institutions.

It was suggested by Ezemenaka (2013) that the use of internet-enabled phones has been on the rise in the 21st century, and as a matter of fact is something that many cannot comprehend. Additionally, young people pay a great deal of attention to their internet enabled phones, also to what their peers think of them. As the mental effects of the use of Smartphone are ever present in the lives of the users, there also exist other effects caused by the continuous use of Smartphone, and this has been identified to be an ‘addiction’. Some psychologists, of recent, have issued cautions that cell phone users face the risk of being addicted to their phones. There are some medical concerns that have been raised in association with the use of Smartphone; there also happens to be effects such as insomnia, anxiety, misery and others (Ezemenaka, 2013). All these effects usually develop when students find themselves without their cell phones. Ebiye (2015) listed the rudimentary utilities of Smartphone, which comprise mobile tele-conferencing, mobile audio and visual calls, as well as sending and receiving electronic mails. Then, according to Gowthami and Venkata Krishna Kumar (2016), they argue that the use of the internet is now a routine habit for students, as well as a medium that is used by students to search for information at anytime and anywhere. Based on all indications, the rate of Smartphone penetration aids teaching and learning processes among students in developing societies through the use of internet connections. Smartphone and mobile technologies make access, exchange and mobility of information easier (Kent, 2016).

Students Addiction to Smartphone

Students who have Smartphone connect easily to the wireless networks and gain limitless access to internet connections that are aimed at advancing students’ learning experience and performance. Furthermore, the deployment of these internet (Wi-Fi) connections is aimed at increasing access to learning contents across the Campus and beyond. One of the thriving platforms to increase access to learning contents is e-Fundi. It is a course or learning management system used as a mechanism for learning engagement and communication and learning content delivery between the students and lecturers. e-Fundi helps the students to obtain their study materials, such as their lecture slides, to engage in online forums, to submit assignments, to write tests, quizzes and examinations, to communicate with lecturers and other students, and many more. It also possesses qualities of u-learning in the sense that, regardless of your geographical location within the nation, it can provide the student with the right learning materials for their academic work through Smartphone. This means that e-Fundi is mobile-friendly, driving e-learning initiatives and, in doing so, increases access to learning contents for students on- or off-campus.

Consequently, according to Joshua, Nehemiah, and Ernest (2015), e-learning is a borderless learning experience to increase tutors and (undergraduate) students’ interaction as well as delivering effective teaching and learning contents across different platforms, such as Smartphone and many more. E-learning platform promotes self-directed and progressive learning processes and access to high-quality learning contents (Weichhart, Stary, & Appel, 2018; Day & Erturk, 2017). Although, according to Guspatni (2018), sometimes the system can be difficult to navigate and use. To this study, the adoption of Smartphone in classrooms promotes access to e-learning materials and opportunities.

The high levels of addiction to Smartphone prove that it affects students’ academic performance (Kibona & Mgaya, 2015). This addiction causes some concerns as to whether the use of Smartphone hampers or elevates the performance of students in general. Ezemenaka (2013) writes that the invention of mobile phone technology thrived with the quest for new knowledge changes and the desire among university students, and most of them are affected, including undergraduate students. This impact contributes to the students’ academic performance both negatively and positively. With due consideration of the effect of Smartphone on the lives of university students, this study aimed at determining the effects (positive and negative) of Smartphone on the academic performance of undergraduate students.

Role of Smartphone in academic learning

The role of Smartphone and mobile technologies in education must not be ignored (Tikoria & Agariya, 2017). Academic learning is now innovative as a result of Smartphone and other media in promoting and advancing 21st century needed skills and knowledge (Tulenko & Bailey, 2013; Emerson & Berge, 2018). Students have experiences of digital surroundings in a tactile and personal manner, which is brought about by some mobile devices, including tablets and Smartphone (Cano, 2012). Mokoena (2012) argues that the use of Smartphone by students improves collaborative learning through its connection to the internet. This statement implies that the use of Smartphone drives students to be more engaged in learner-centred participation learning. This is a vivid indication on numerous supports that Smartphone have brought to the students; it advances their understanding by increasing academic performance, social media participation and information sharing; it helps their social skills by giving them opportunities to seek academic assistance and support, and many more (Mokoena, 2012).

However, according to Kinsella (2009), the challenge of communication in lecture halls with students is solved due to the use of Smartphone. Concomitantly, Mokoena (2012) states that group projects and/or work given to the students by their lecturers are easily and conveniently carried out with the aid of Smartphone. This further shows that students are now able to record their lecturers’ lessons and teachings in real time. This is done by recording information during lessons, which has been made possible by the sophisticated features available on Smartphone. From different perspectives, people try to embrace the use of Smartphone because it is no longer used as communication tools (calls and text messages) only, but also as tools for people’s social and work lives and possibly a potential instrument in their academic lives (Cano, 2012). According to Buck, Melnnis, and Randolph (2013), Lytle (2012) reports that college students using the Study Blue Flash Cards believed it assists them in memorising the key terminologies when preparing for their tests. The study further states that some students use iPhones for the Evernote Peek application, which serves as a note-taking cloud service, thereby, giving them the opportunity to sort out their notes and transforming them into effective study materials.

With the evolution of Smartphone, what the students do outside the classroom is very much the same as the work they do inside of the classroom. This observation is very important to the issue brought up in the study with regard to the responsibility or role of SMARTPHONE outside the premises of the school (university). It can be observed that students use their SMARTPHONE for various reasons at university without restrictions. Then, according to Vanwelsenaers (2012), students spend a considerable percentage of the 4.5 lesson hours using Smartphone. In addition, through the effective use of Smartphone, students are engaged in dialogues and other collaborative activities, and this is an excellent illustration of how the Smartphone facilitates conversation and information/content sharing.

Challenges involved in using Smartphone and the effects accompanied with the use

It appears that some students are able to accomplish tasks using Smartphone at universities or classrooms, while in the case of others, the Smartphone has become a potential form of distraction. Even the visibility and mere presence of a Smartphone that is connected to the internet attract the attention of students and many adults, thereby diverting their focus and/or attention in class. Some students can ‘switch’ their focus between the Smartphone as a form of entertainment device and at the same time, a learning platform (Barnwell, 2016). Additionally, Smartphone could prove to be very important in the sense that it gives children, or in this case, students from different kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds, the same opportunity to access learning materials (digital-age information). However, the use of Smartphone as a form of learning entails that students have to combine information and at the same time stay focused on their lesson or discussions in class. For students, who have low literacy skills and the steady urge to multitask on social media, blending the purposeful use of Smartphone into classroom activity can be particularly challenging. Then, the main advantage of the tool tends to go to waste. There has been proportional growth in the use of mobile phones, and mobile phones are being overused (Baron, 2010). Smartphone encourages micro-learning for the employed and unemployed for advancement of knowledge and skills (Emerson & Berge, 2018). Young people’s use of Smartphone invites the initiation of social circles; friendships are also initiated and destroyed. Romantic affiliations emerge from these social circles, which are often developed or established on the social and recreational websites, thereby probably leading to a shift in the relationship of users with their family members. Traditionally, friendships and social associations or connections were done in person; however, in the era of the evolving technological world of Smartphone, they are being done over social networks and as a matter of fact have become the preferred platform to develop friendships. Friendships that are developed over social networks tend to be more recreational and are less based on educational purposes. Based on the previous sentence, it is a clear indication that less attention is given by the students to their academic work and activities. Some schools have decided to restrict the use of Smartphone in classes or during lectures; the reason being that it enables the students to cheat during their examinations and/or tests (Buck et al., 2013). The easy internet access on Smartphone enables students to easily look up their examination and/or tests questions online. The use of Smartphone in this manner can cause the student to be somewhat relaxed about studying, as they can easily find the answers to their examinations or test questions online, thereby helping the students to pass their examination, but not helping them to have knowledge about what they are being taught by their lecturers. Consequently, the adoption of Smartphone can be said to be driven by two properties of decadent and sensible dimensions.

In essence, it is no longer only a task-oriented technology for the purpose of productivity, but it is also an entertainment-oriented technology that is designed for pleasure. According to Chun, Lee, and Kim (2012), 18 to 20 persons tend to become thoroughly driven sentimentally in probing for fun and sensory stimulation when using a Smartphone for entertainment purposes and pleasure, while they are likely to be judiciously persuaded to scrutinise cost benefits based on its performance when using Smartphone for work (Chun et al., 2012). In this study, the effect of Smartphone on academic performance or the learning of students is mixed with challenges that will be determined later in the study.

Social Networking Sites Used By Students

Some social networking sites commonly used by students include:

1. Facebook:

With Facebook, you can browse and join networks, pull contacts from a web-based e-mail account, find friends in several ways, upload pictures, and video clips etc. Facebook has recently crossed 700 million users and is the most popular social networking site of the world.

2. MySpace:

When you join MySpace, the first step is to create a profile. You then, invite friends to join there and search for your friends already profiled on MySpace.

3. Twitter

Twitter is a social networking site that is rapidly becoming one of the most talked about. When one has a Twitter account, he can use the service to post and receive messages to a network of contacts, as opposed to sending bulk email messages.

4. LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is an online social network for business professionals, which is designed specifically for professional networking, to help them find a job, discover sales leads, connect with potential business partners. Other popular social networks include; Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, Bebo, Friendster, Ning, Classmates, Tagged, My Year Book etc.

Positive Effects of Smartphone usage amongst Students includes:

Though cell phones are a positive tool for keeping students connected to their family and friends back home but obsessed indulgence to them retards their learning performance. The under-highlights are some positive effects of Smartphone gazette among the students.

a. Teaching Tools

In spite of the distractions they pose, many teachers use Smartphone as teaching tools such as computer-aided instruction (drill and practice, tutorial, instructional games, simulation, problem solving and discovery software). These Soft wares are interactive which are used to supplement classroom instruction. They are said to offer a highly individualized instruction (Otor and Egbodo, 2015). Many teachers also use text messages to teach literature, letting students write imaginary text message conversations between literary characters.

b. More Convenience

Smartphone is undeniably convenient. Because of Smartphone, students never have to look for a pay phone or wonder about the location of a friend. These ubiquitous communication tools allow students to reach their peers and their parents instantly.

Negative Effects of Smartphone Usage among Students

Smartphone offers a lot of advantages but it also has negative aspects. The sense of addiction is related to dependency and heavy usage (Ling, 2015). In addition, excessive Smartphone usage gives rise to serious social, health and educational hazards as well while a strong correlation has been observed between excessive Smartphone usage and criminal activities such as theft, use of alcohol and narcotics (Ling, 2015). Tindell & Bohlander (2011) enumerate some of the adverse effects of Smartphone usage amongst students as follows:

1. In the university, Smartphone can become a serious distraction that interferes with learning. Mobile phone usage during class affects students’ grades and distracts classmates from learning. Even the attentive student misses out when his classmates fiddle with their Smartphone.
2. Smartphone offers numerous conveniences, including easy access to calculators, dictionaries, and other tools. However, Smartphone do take a toll on students’ cognitive thinking abilities. Attention spans have shortened so dramatically that many students struggle to read anything longer than a social network posting. In addition, becoming dependent on the phone as a quick fix for information can keep them from developing the ability to “think on their feet” in work situations (Tindell & Bohlander, 2011).
3. Many Smartphone users have turned the devices to a cheat machines. Students no long bother exploring creatively, the Internet facilities they have but use it to devalue themselves by cheating. Many students nowadays see visiting the library, reading a textbook, asking relevant and meaningful questions about a concept as a gross waste of time and energy. They never consider that even the very facility \ they are exploring is a product of hard work and research. Contrary to this, many students use their phones to download documents from the Internet, paste it into a word-processing programme without making any input apart from replacing their names with that of the original author and submit same to their lecturers.
4. Smartphone allow access to social networking, email, and other applications, which are sometimes used for cyber bullying. Smartphone allow bullies to send unpleasant messages all day long, disrupting their educational progress as well as that of the recipients of such messages.
5. Intense use of Smartphone may cause harm to the users’ health including his/her psychological wellbeing.
6. Students who are pre-occupied with Smartphone tend to experience psychological disorders. They are usually prone to having a higher risk of developing psychological disorders like aggressive tendencies and anti-social behaviours.
7. There has been a dramatic decline in the writing abilities of students due to Twitting, Facebooking, Whatsapping, Skyping, Vibing and texting. Students do not capitalize words or use punctuation marks anymore; any word longer than one syllable is now abbreviated to one word. Colloquial speech, slang terms, and text-speak have become a common sight on student’s assignments. These slangs and text speak include IJN (In Jesus name), K (Okay), RIP (Rest in peace), IWCUB (I will call you back) , D (The), U (You), UR (Your), TXN (Thank), PLS (Please), 5NE (Fine), DAT (That), 2 (To), Luk (Look), 2day (Today), IDK (I don’t know), LOL (Laughing out loud), SMH (Shaking my head), BTW (By the way), TTYL (Talk to you later) among others.
8. Most of our students of nowadays do download unrefined, poorly written and unarticulated materials from the Internet and use them in their assignments and projects while forgetting that most of these materials are faked without facts and essential ingredients as well as full of grammatical errors to give them good marks.

Smartphone and Examination Malpractices

With the rise in technological advancement, students have taken examination malpractices at almost every stratum of education to another level. Some students have used this platform of owning a Smartphone, for example, to propagate examination frauds, some of them store answers on their phones and take this into examination halls. Despite the ban of Smartphone in exam hall, some female students actually hide their phones in their under-wears and when confronted by the invigilators claim they were only adjusting their sanitary towels to make it firm.

Female students should be warned of the health implication of putting Smartphone in their under-wears. The use of Smartphone in exam malpractices has made the ongoing efforts at curbing examination malpractice as yet another setback and even as no known perpetrator has been brought to book or conclusively trialed (Park, 2017).

In describing e-cheating among the students, the cell phone technology seems to have provided a smart way to beat the effort of stamping out the examination malpractice menace. Ogboshi (2015) experiences in 2014 and 2015 JAMB supervision revealed a lot of exam irregularities among the students. It has been discovered to be rampant among students that sit for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations using Smartphone, iPods in committing malpractice during the exams like other exam entity such as West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) or NABTEB.  It is no longer news that terminal and semester exams are browsed in the examination hall by the students using their SMARTPHONE to aid their marks.

The use of Smrt phone through E-cheating according to Omonijo (2011) refers to the habit of students engaging digital devices to indulge in examination misconduct. The following five websites are suspected to be exposed in the examination misconduct dishonor.

1. www.examcrown.com:  This website makes it obvious that its administrators are into examination misconduct business. The information on the websites give confidence to students who want to do examination misconduct to pay a day before examination and encourages them to invite friends for better results.

2. www.Examsort.com: This website delights carrying out examination misconduct platform since it sells answers to examination questions in exchange for recharge cards.

3. www.guruslodge.com: Guruslodge charges N800 from candidates to transmit answers directly to candidates Smart phones, while others demand N400 MTN recharge cards to transmit a connection to the answers.

4. www.naijaclass.com: This is described as a Student Comprehensive Online Portal. The students who failed to prepare for examinations and want to have good grades at all cost are the major culprits. Interestingly, some parents provide their children with money to bribe examination officials or patronise online runs site where examination rules and regulations are compromised.

Other Websites are www.exambomb.com, www.examfield.com, www. waecgceexpo.realwaparz.com, http://studentbaze.com, www. expoloaded.com, and many others for e-cheating abound in the country. These sites are exam business owned by IT gurus where candidates pay money into their account and sometimes recharge cards in order to send answers to their phones. These answers are emailed, text, WhatsApp depending on the arrangement. When a candidate is successfully paid, the e-cheat admin sends a confirmation link to the student prior to the start of an examination.

It has become the order of the day for students, as some gather “it’s a normal thing”. Hence, it has become an “epidemic‟ in the educational system which needs immediate attention. Just as yearly, a lot of phones are seized from students whom despite all the warnings still smuggle their phones into exam halls, to boost their results eventually.

Some invigilators were accused of encouraging malpractices during examinations through allowing some candidates to cheat with the conviction that someone somewhere would assist their own children in terms of need too. Parents are not left out in the menace as most are the driving force behind such acts, like in the case of a parent who was caught sending SMS to her daughter; she was willing to go to any length for her child to go to the university. She also expressed determination to make her aim realized.

METHODOLOGY

Descriptive survey research design was used. This design describes the nature of a demographic segment of a population. It describes the subject of the research. It attempted to collect quantifiable information for statistical analysis of the population sample. It was used because it permitted the researcher to study small sample and later generalized the findings to the whole population. Osuala (2001) was of the view that in survey research small sample is studied and the findings generalized to the population.

Area of Study 

The study was carried out at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri academic capabilities.

Population of the Study

The population of the study consists of undergraduate students at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri

Sample and Sampling Technique

A random sampling technique was used in selecting participants across all faculties of the University. The sample size used was 600. This sampling technique was used because of the large population which is spread out.

Instrument for Data Collection

The researcher using questionnaires to collect data from students at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri gather the data needed in the rating scale. The rating scale was used to quantify abstract concepts and allow the researcher to assign a rating for every response. The four (4) Likert-scale items dealing with impart of Smartphone on Students Academic performance English language learning in Tertiary Institutions at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri was arranged in a 4 point rating scale ranging from and Very Low Extent (VLE), – 1 point, Low Extent (LE) – 2 points, High Extent (HE) – 3 points, and Very High Extent (VHE) – 4 points was used in the instrument.

Validity of the Instrument

The instrument was validated by two (2) specialists who include specialists in English Language. These specialists examined rating scale for the purpose of face validity, clarity of the statement in the instrument and correct possible errors in the instrument.

Reliability of the Instrument

To ascertain the reliability of the instrument, the researcher administered the instrument once. The rating scale was administered to 60 teachers of English language from Imo State University, Owerri which are outside the area of study area but with similar characteristics. The instrument was administered and the scores were collected. The reliability of the instrument was estimated through Cronbach Alpha formula and the obtained reliability index was estimated as (0.99) which seemed to be an acceptable reliability value.

Data Collection

A face-to-face method was employed for the administration of the instrument. Copies of the instruments were administered were retrieved, thus, ensuring a 100% return rate.

Data Analysis

The analysis of findings in this study is a result of the collected questionnaires on the empirical investigation of the impacts of Smartphone on the academic performance of students at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri. The data analysis used the average mean score and standard deviation.

Analysis of impact of smart phone usage on student learning

Research Question 1: Why does  Impart of Smartphones on students affect their attitudes towards English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri?

Table 1: Mean and Standard Deviation on Impart of Smartphones on students affect their attitudes towards English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri?.

Sample Size (n), Summation (∑X), Mean (), Standard Deviation (S), and Remarks

In Table 1 above, question 1 shows the finding that suggests that invention of Smartphone brings in attitudinal changes among university students.

Question 2 indicates that Smartphone usage by university students offers positive capabilities to the users. In question 3, the findings show that university students have a significant impact on the Smartphone instilling academic knowledge in them. Question 4 shows that Students find it convenient to access their academic materials on their Smartphone. Judging from what has been indicated above in number 5, students do not find it convenient to access their academic materials on their Smartphone. The overall indication from question 6 above expresses that portable size and its ability to be used helps not only in the classroom, but also outside the classroom.

Research Question 2: Are there benefits for the use of  Smartphones by students on performance English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri?

Table 2: Mean and Standard Deviation on the benefits for the use of  Smartphones by students on performance English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri

 Sample Size (n), Summation (∑X), Mean (), Standard Deviation (S), and Remarks

In Table 2, the descriptive analysis is aimed at analysing the questions asked in relation to benefits for the use of  Smart phones by students on performance English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri. Question 7 shows the finding that suggests that Smartphone can make learning easy as one can search helpful content and can learn from educational videos..

Question 8 indicates that Smartphone has a variety of informative apps too, which can be useful for students. In question 9, the findings show that Smartphone contributes to increased academic achievement. Question 10 above shows that Smart phone serves as convenient study aids. Judging from what has been indicated above in number 11, they provide access to vast information through the internet.

The overall indication from question 12 above expresses that Smartphone enhances learning experiences. Question 13 above indicates that the use of Smartphone Improves communication and connection. However, according to question 14, the findings indicate that Smartphone provides a wealth of access to information.

Research Question 3: How does the use of Smartphone impart on students performance in English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri?

Table 3: Mean and Standard Deviation on use of Smartphone impart on students performance in English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri

 Sample Size (n), Summation (∑X), Mean (), Standard Deviation (S), and Remarks

In Table 3, the descriptive analysis is aimed at analysing the questions asked in relation to Smartphone impart on students performance in English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri question 15 shows the finding that Smartphone leads to spending excessive time on social media platforms. Question 16 indicates that Smartphone engages students in non-educational activities on their phones can lead to a decline in study time. In question 17, the findings show that Smartphone leads to lack of engagement with academic materials. Question 18 above shows that Smartphone decreases motivation. Judging from what has been indicated above in number 19, Smartphone distract students’ learning in general. This distracting factor affects the students. The overall indication from question 20 above expresses that Smartphone leads to Cyber bullying. Question 21 above indicates that academic anxiety serves as a complete mediator in the relationship between Smartphone addiction and academic achievement. However, according to question 22, the findings indicate that there is a significant negative correlation between Smartphone addiction and academic achievement.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Impart of Smart phones on students affect their attitudes towards English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri

The descriptive analysis for the questions under this part showed that a greater number of students find it convenient to access their academic materials on their Smartphone. This is in accordance with what Mokoena (2012) says that one of the most important features of the ever-evolving features of the Smartphone is its small or rather portable size and its ability to be used not only in the classroom, but also outside the classroom. The students’ indicated that it is convenient to access academic materials on Smartphone. This shows that the students found it more convenient to access academic materials on their Smartphone. The overall findings concur with Al-Tarawneh (2014), who noted that the positive contributions of Smartphone towards students give them the ability to obtain academic support and assistance.

Furthermore, the finding is also backed by data analysis, which shows that Smartphone usage instilled academic knowledge in them. The findings show that Smartphone usage by students offers positive capabilities to the users. These capabilities are sets of encouragement in the adoption of Smartphone for academic purposes for students. However, according to Ezemenaka (2013), the invention of mobile phone technology thrives and brings attitudinal changes among university students and most of them are affected. How

Benefits for the use of  Smart phones by students on performance English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri

According to Rouis, Limayem, and Salehi-Sangari (2011), the Smartphone equip students with access to internet connections, and this makes them feel the need sometimes to text their friends in class. The use of Smartphone increases and the students’ academic performance. This finding is supported by Mokoena (2012) and Gowthami and Venkata Krishna Kumar (2016), who suggest that Smartphone usage by students increases collaborative activities, information sharing, academic assistance and support from each other. Positively, the use of Smartphone assists students in many ways, including doing research, doing assignments, accessing lecture slides and many more. The use of Smartphone by students benefits them academically in that it increases their performance.

Smart phone impart on students performance in English language learning at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri

There are negative impacts of social networks on the academic performance of students (Rouis et al., 2011). There is a correlation that was established between the age range of the students and how often they receive calls on their Smartphone while in class. The finding shows a positive correlation between the two variables, which means that the ages of the students have a significant impact on how often they receive calls on their Smartphone in a classroom. In the descriptive statistics, under Table 3, students are distracted by using Smartphone in general.

Nonetheless, a cross tabulation shows that the use of Smartphone impacts more on the sleeping patterns of the students. Because of these mentioned distractions, some schools have restricted the use of Smartphone in classes or during lectures (Buck et al., 2013).

The study further depicted that the students take pictures with their Smartphone while in lectures. Smartphone usage consumes their time. This implies that many of the students are negatively affected by Smartphone usage because they are mostly distracted in one way or the other while using Smartphone. According to Baron (2010), the growth in the use of mobile phones causes mobile phones to be overused. The findings are contradict Mokoena (2012), who believed that Smartphone improve the lives and activities of the users and increase collaboration, support and information sharing.

Implication of the Study to Education

The study has some implications on female students who frequently receive calls, SMS, and chats during school hour than their male counterparts. This is because one lady could have more than 30 boys who are trying to reach her via phone call and SMS, WhatsApp, Viber, 2go, Skype, Facebook, and twitter. In an attempt to respond to all these disturbances, their attention, and academic focus would be shifted to mobile worship. This could be one of the reasons for female student’s slow performance in tests and examination as compared to their male counterparts.

Another implication of the study is that Smartphone has become a source of distraction since students who are expected to commit their time to academic activities, instead commit their time and energies to the various applications in the Smartphone. Miners (2019) observes that for students who are habitually giving to the use of Smartphone, the educational implication is that the teacher would have to devote their attention and time to bring them into conscious relationship required of the classroom setting.

A further implication of the study to education is that Smartphone results in poor performance/retention and the creation of added responsibility in classroom management and control for the teachers and the school authority.

The Smartphone also disorients classroom behaviour and student’s attitudes towards learning when even those that are not using it were prone by the distraction of those who use the.

Again, for those who are habitually addicted to the use of the Smartphone, the lack of accessing information from it have a wider educational implication especially when they find themselves in an uncondusive environment or when they have low battery and could not use it. It could distort their academic work due to their psychological commitment to use Smartphone at all times.

The use of Smartphone has aided examination malpractices have educational implication in schools as all manner of information can be stored in their memory systems. University management should not allow undergraduate students to bring handsets into the classrooms during lectures bearing in mind the enormous disadvantages. Many offensive items are programmed in handsets, including pornographic films and materials that help children cheat in examinations.

All these as discussed above require recommendation as to the way forward in solving the problems of student’s use of Smartphone in their classroom.

CONCLUSION

The Smartphone is a desirable and needed technological device which is appropriately suited for teaching and learning process.  However, when wrongly used in the lecture room by students, it could result in negative consequences that would affect the attainment of the desired educational goals. This has been the issues when the students use their Smartphone in classroom as revealed in the study. The ban of the use of Smartphone will sanitize the school system and allow the students to concentrate on their studies rather than playing games with their handsets during classes. The policy will equally help to check indiscipline. This is important because of the astronomical rise in the use of Smartphone among students of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is thus recommended that:

1. Lecturers and University management in conjunction with the ministry of education should come up with a policy to discourage the use of Smartphones in the classrooms or during academic programme of Students.
2. There should be rules and regulations against the use of Smartphones, such rules should be clearly stated with appropriate measures and guidelines for its enforcement.
3. Students should be guided and counseled on the use of Smartphones at the point of entry for their academic programme on the campus. This would require the services of the Counseling Unit of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri where they would be told how, when and why to use it. This is because they should know the advantages and disadvantages of the appropriate time for using Smartphones.
4. Manufacturers of Smartphones should enlighten the adolescence users of Smartphones through their manuals of some of the implications as revealed in the study.

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