The document summarizes a student's research into cell phone usage during class time. Surveys of 30 students found high percentages using phones for texting, browsing the internet, and social media like Facebook and Twitter. While the sample size was small, results suggest students are more engaged with phones during class than expected. The researcher concludes phones may be used for both distraction and educational purposes like research, and larger studies are needed to understand impacts on learning.

1. Cell phone Usage in Classroom
By: Ngoni Ditima
CELL PHONE USAGE IN
CLASSROOM

2. Research Topic Questions
How many students use their cell
phones during class time?

3. Purpose and Goal
 As a student coordinator I found a lot of
students using their cell phones during class
time. And so the goal was to try and find out
or estimate how many students were using
their cell phones during class time.
 Due to the advanced technological
generation of students today we see how
imperative it is for our generation to be able
to stay in-touch and connected.

4. Methods of research
 To do this, I reviewed many articles (some of which I will use). In
researching my question I decided to choose surveying as the primary
source of research. Due to nature of my question (How many students use
their cell phones during class time?) I concluded that surveying would give
me the closest results (even though general). Interviewing would have
been the next choice of method but, unfortunately there was no time to
conduct it.
 Berger (2011) states that some advantages of using surveys are that they
“are inexpensive, can obtain current information, enable you to obtain a
great deal of information at one time, provide quantitative or numeric data,
surveys are very common, and some of the information you seek may
have already been discovered in a survey. (p.227)
 For example, when doing a survey an advantage in trying to obtain
research could be asking a question or questions that no one else can
ask. Therefore because these surveys are usually anonymous and sample
randomized people usually are ok with answering truthfully.

5. Reasons and strategy for Survey
 When choosing a research method I felt that after looking at the
advantages of surveys, I would be able to ask my questions
specifically to what I was seeking in my results.
 Therefore my survey was geared toward more of an Analytical
Surveys that seeks to find out why people behave the way they
do.
 With a large number of students I concluded to carry out
surveys to obtain my information.
 I conducted my survey by random selection of samples Berger
(2011) alludes to how, “a sample is a subset of a population that
is used to reference the major grouping in its entirety. If you
have a homogenous population, that is everyone is the same, a
relatively small sample of this population will provide reliable
information about the larger pop.” (p. 236) for one to understand
what a sample is when doing research, it is important to save
time and resources by including a research method such as a
sample to get results.

6. Do you send text messages in
class?
20%
Yes
No
80%

7. Do you browse the internet in
class?
60%
40% Yes
No
No
Yes

8. Do you feel you are attached to your
cell phone?
10%
90% No
Yes

9. Do you have a smart phone?
Yes
No
70% 30%

10. Do you use your phone for social networking
(twitter, facebook, etc) in class?
20%
No
Yes
90%

11. Hypothesis and Results
 When looking at the results, I felt that they
speak for themselves.
 When analyzing the results from the surveys
one can see how students today are deeply
involved in social media and the
advancement of technological
communication.
 When composing the research question I did
not expect a high number of students to be
using their cell phones in class.
 With more time I could have generated more
specific questions to find out why students
are using cell phones in class time.

12. Hypothesis and Results
(continued)
 I distributed 30 surveys in three different classes. And so I had 30 random
students take the survey.
 One can conclude many things from the results I got. In trying to figure out
how many students use cell phones in class, I feel my results are not as
accurate as they should be. Part of the reason being because of the
sample number of students who took the survey compared to the actual
large number of students that go to USM LAC.
 Berger (2011) states that some disadvantages of using surveys in
research “are people often do not tell the truth, people make mistakes
about what they have done, obtaining representative sample is frequently
quite difficult, people often refuse to participate in surveys, and writing
good survey questions is often very difficult to do.
 For example, when doing a survey an advantage in trying to obtain
research could be by asking a question or questions that no one else can
ask. Therefore because these surveys are usually anonymous and sample
randomized people usually are ok with answering truthfully. The opposite
reaction to that advantage becomes a disadvantage in the same sense.
After asking that certain question that might be personal and intrusive, a
survey participant might choose to answer that question sporadically in
order to avoid telling the truth.

13. Hypothesis and Results
(continued)
 Formulating survey questions can prove a
hard duty, but fortunately I was able to get
the questions I wanted to find out
answered.
 In this case my topic question was
answered by the survey’s results.
 Even though more research can be done
on a larger basis, students are using cell
phones in classes more frequently than
one might think.

14. Conclusion
 My study shows that students are using cell phones in class
time. It is important to remember that this does not mean
that students are not paying attention, but rather that they
are using cell phones for either research in class or
communicating(texting) or social networking.
 By not asking a more specific question like, the duration of
time spent on the cell phone, I would be unable to conclude
that students are distracted from their lessons while in class.
 The debate still remains though of if cell phones are
beneficial or not will in the class room.
 Interesting Video on Cell phones in school
 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxDHataguRE&feature=related)

15. Work Cited
 Berger, Arthur. Media and Communication
Research Methods. 2nd. Thousand Oaks:
Sage Publications, 2011. 190-325. Print.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxDHatag
uRE&feature=related
 http://www.wooster.edu/News-and-
Events/News-Releases/2011/April/Cell-
Phone-Consequences
 http://yoursphere.com/allykatzz/page/news/ta
g_blogs/?url=/page/index.html&section=news
&page=tag_blogs&tag_id=51&blogPageId=3