Learning Hard or Hardly Learning: Smartphones in the University’s Classrooms

Abstract

AbstractMobile devices are the necessary part of equipment for the busy life of modern people. Recent studies revealed that students use mobile phones in the educational environment more and more often. But there is a gap in empirical works related to the issue of what exactly do Russian students do with their smartphones during the class and how is this smartphone use connected to their academic motivation. In this study authors aimed to examine different aspects of smartphone usage by Russian university students during class in association with academic motivation, satisfaction with education, and indicators of problematic smartphone use. The study involved 437 participants aged between 17 and 34 years, 70,02% female. The findings revealed that students who used smartphones for academic purposes had expressed intrinsic academic motivation and learning achievements. Generally, students had sooner positive intentions towards smartphone use during the class and tended to disclaim distracting forms of smartphone use. Results have shown that students who actively used smartphones while learning, less satisfied with their education. Problematic smartphone use had a strong association with distracting forms of smartphone use during the class.KeywordsSmartphone use during classRussian studentsLearningInvolvementDistractionAcademic motivationSatisfaction with educationProblematic smartphone usePhubbing