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Does The Use Of Mobile Phones Should Be Prohibited During Class Hour?

A Position Paper Presented To

Alvin V. Tabada

English Instructor

In-Partial Fulfillment of the Course English for Academic and Professional Purposes

By:

Kathleen Nicole Obera

Angeline Taghap

University Of Southern Philippines Foundation

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

October 2019
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i

TABLE OF CONTENTS ii

PAGES

Rationale 1

Statement of the Problem 3

Data Gathering Procedure 4

Data Interpretation 5

Position Paper 8

Recommendation 10

REFERENCES

Appendix A (works Cited) 11

Appendix B (About the Researcher) 12

Appendix C (About the Researcher) 14

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Sample Instrument 16
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Issue

Does The Use Of Mobile Phones Should Be Prohibited During Class Hours?

Rationale of the Study

With the blooming development of science and technology, mobile phones have

become an indispensable part of our life. Mobile technology such as mobile phones have

evolved to become light weight, more powerful enough to fit in one’s pocket. We are

now living in the mobile age where individuals use internet enable mobile devices

anytime and anywhere to perform variety activities.

Mobile phones are widely used by students nowadays. It is an essential tool for

students especially when it comes to research and educational purposes. With mobile,

they can easily access information from various choices in the wed with just one tap. It

has a big impact on students life with their easy internet access, a multitude of

education-friendly apps, and the ability to be used at a moments notice, smart phones

have all the tools necessary to boost students learning. It is a big help for the students

inside the classroom especially when the giver a sudden work.

Mobile devices have also created concerns. According to National Milman of GWU

(George Washington University), “ mobile devices promote a certain kind of learning but
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it is limited. It can be overused and used in ways that aren’t educationally meaning.”

Their use has also created worries about cheating and visiting inappropriate websites.

A region in Spain banned that use of mobile devices within the school premises

because they believe that the use of mobile phones could distract the students from

learning. Here in the Philippines, only a few schools have policies about banning the use

of mobile phones during classes. The researcher aims to identify the advantages and

disadvantages of using mobile phones during classes. The researcher aims to identify the

pros and cons of using mobile devices and study about the effects of using mobile during

classes.
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Statement of the Problem

Mobile devices are widely used by people nowadays, especially the students which

created some concerns about the proper use of mobile phones inside the classroom,

specifically during class hours. This research aims to identify the advantages and

disadvantages of using mobile phones during class hours and its effects on how the

students interact with his classmates and teachers as well as the prohibition of such

gadgets.

Specifically, this study attempts to answer the following questions:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using mobile phones during

classes?

2. What are the negative effect of using mobile phones during class hour to the

students and teachers?

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3. What are the reasons why mobile phones should not be/ should be prohibited

during class hours?

4. Does the school have policies about the use of mobile phones during class

hours?

5. What are the positive effects of using mobile phones during class hours?

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher made the questionnaires that was answered by the chosen respondents

of Senior High School students of University Of Southern Philippines-Foundation to

fulfill the survey. The respondents answered the question truthfully based on the

respondents stand that can give a solemn response about using of mobile phones during

class hours should be prohibited. The researcher collect all the questionnaires that was

distributed to the respondents. After that, the researchers tabulate and tailed the result

through statistics. And the result serves as the bases of the argument of what the

researchers stand.
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Data Interpretation

Respondents:

There were 10 Senior High students from University of Southern Philippines

Foundation involved in this study.

Table 1

Question 1 YES NO
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Do you always use your mobile phone during class hours? 80% 20%

The table one shows that eighty percent or eight out ten respondents always used

their mobile phones during class hours while twenty percent or two respondents do not

use phone during class hours.

Table 2

Question 2 YES NO

Does mobile phone help you do better in class? 90% 10%

The table two shows that ninety percent or nine out of ten respondents says that

mobile phone helps them to do better in class and only ten percent or one respondent say

that it does not helping to do better in class.

Table 3

Question 3 YES YES

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Do mobile phones distract the students as well as teachers

70% 30%
during discussion?

The table three show that seventy percent or seven out of ten respondents were

distracted during the discussion and thirty percent or three respondents weren’t distracted

to the discussion.

Table 4

Question 4 YES NO

Are the teachers here at USPF strict about the use of mobile
30% 70%
phones during classes?

The table four shows that seventy percent or seven out of ten respondents said that

the teachers at USPF are not strict about the use of mobile phones during class hour and

thirty percent or three out of ten respondents said yes.

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Table 5

Question 5 YES NO

Do you use your mobile phone during class for educational

50% 50%
purposes?

The table five show that the response of the respondents are neutral regarding to the

fifth question. Five out of ten respondents use their phones during class for educational

purposes.
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Position Paper

We live in a world that is dominated by technology. Everybody carries a phone with

them everywhere they go. The researcher decided to choose a topic relevant to this

phenomena and finally came up with the question: “Does The Use Of Mobile phones

Should Be Prohibited During Class Hours?”. The researcher decided to take focus on

this topic since almost all teenagers, specifically students, are using their phones all the

time, even inside the classroom during class hours or discussions.

After the survey, the researcher came up with the opposing sides which are to

prohibit and not to prohibit the use of mobile phones during class hours. Technology is

incorporated into most of our daily activities, it is no surprise then that the use of

technology occurs in the classroom today. Our generation today has never known life

without technology or the internet, because we are technology driven. Based on the

survey, 80% of the respondents always use their mobile phones during class hours and

this has created some concerns. It is said that mobile phones are distracting students from

their full potential of learning and based on the survey made. 70% of the respondents
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agreed that mobile phones could distract the students as well as the teachers during

discussions. This just proves that mobile phones have great impact on students learning

process because students tend to use their phones for gaming and surfing the internet

rather than listening to the teachers, on the other hand, the teachers would be distracted

from teaching because of the students using their mobile phones. But based on the

survey, 50% of the respondents use their mobile phones during classes for educational

purposes only while the other 50% do not.

This proves that using mobile phones during classes has advantages. The use of

technology in the classroom plays an integral role on the students success in the future.

The students engagement to there devices could help them have better understanding of

the mobile world. Based on the survey, 90% of the respondents agreed that mobile

phones could help them do better in class; this mainly because a mobile is very accessible

especially when the teachers give sudden research works and the students could easily

access or acquire the information that they need with just one tap. But, the teachers also

have to take part on this case, they are the ones who would guide the students about the

proper use of mobile phones. Based on the survey 70% of the respondents said that the

teachers here at USPF are not strict about theme using their mobile phones. There used be

an assessment to be made and action to take to avoid distraction on the students and

teachers.

The study proved that the use of mobile phones during class hours have its

advantages and disadvantages, and all have their effects on the students and teachers.

Distraction only happens when the students do not understand the proper use of mobile
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phones and lack of assessment from the teachers. Based on our research, it would be not

necessary to prohibit the use of mobile phones during class hours because it may cause

distraction among students, but it is still important to consider its advantages which could

help student improve their selves and boost their learning capacities, guaranteed with the

proper imposition on the use of mobile devices.

Recommendations

Based on the findings and conclusion, the recommendations are hereby offered:

1. The researcher would like to to recommend to have more research respondents in

order to have a better outcome or findings of the research.

2. The researchers would like to recommend not to focus on one department and

consider other department to acquire more precise result.

3. Based on the result, it would be best for students to have proper knowledge and

understanding about the proper use of mobile phones during class hours.
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4. The researcher would also like to recommend that teachers should also take part

and conduct proper assessment on the students who are using mobile phones

during class hours.

5. If possible, it would be to include the teachers when conducting a survey to

identify the accurate problems and actions to be made.

Appendix A

References

Essays, UK.(November 2013). Use Of Mobile Phones And Tabs In Educational Essay.

Retrieve From October 4, 2019,from

https://www.uniassignment.com/essat-samples/education/use-of-mobile-phones-and-

tabs-in-education-essay.php?vref=1

Edward Graham. (n.d). Using Smartphones In The Classroom. Retrieve From October

4,2018, from https://www.nea.org/tools/56274.htm

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Should Mobile Phones Be Banned in School?. (n.d.) Retrieve from October 4,2019, from

https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Should-Mobile-Phones-Be-Banned-In-Schools-P3H

4PYYVC

Appendix B

About the Researcher

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About the Researcher

There’s a rainbow always after the rain. A famous line of the song that made her

inspire and believing that there’s always hope after you’ve faced the problems. She may

have grown at the side of her sister but this was never being an obstacle to her life. She

has gone through a lot of troubles and depression because of her studies and family

problems, but she never loses her faith in God and stay being positive and happy. Despite

of the problems that she gone through, she learn to be an independent person and the

values which made her as a person.

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Like a stereotype of a person, she was able to accept her mistake and correct it on her

own. She was not that exemplary student, she once a failure during her elementary days

and grade 7th to 9th days. She receives a 79 grade in her one academic, which made her

lose interest in her studies. And her ailing mother’s condition got worst. But with the help

of her sister and family, she was able to overcome the challenges and make to the honor

list in her 10th grade. Now, she was diverting her attention by reading Wattpad and

manga, watching anime and k drama, and collecting books from her favorite authors.

She also wanted to be a neurologist someday to treat her mother’s illness and to have a

better life.

Now she currently studies at University of Southern Philippines Foundation. Taking

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in pursuance her goal to

become a neurologist someday. Slowly to adapt the new environment, the environment of

senior high. .As she walk to the path that where she can become an extraordinary person.

She might go have through a bitter-sweet days, dark-light, but she will remain to a

quintessential tough, buoyant, and responsible.

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Sample Instrument

Name (optional): Gender:

Age: Year & Strand:

We would like to conduct a survey about “Does the use of mobile phones should be

prohibited during class hours?”. All the information provided by you will be kept

confidential and will be used for research purposes only.

Directions: Please check the box that corresponds your answer.

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YES NO

1.) Do you always use your mobile phone during

class hours?

2.) Does mobile phone help you do better in class?

3.) Do mobile phones distract the students as well

as teachers during discussions?

4.) Are the teachers here at USPF strict about the

use of mobile phones during classes?

5.) Do you use your mobile phone during classes

for educational purposes only?