CHAPTER I

The Problem

Lately, technology has been raised rapidly

simultaneous by the new technology era. There are plenty of

gadgets created by inventors. One of the gadgets is the

smart phones. This device is viewed as an important

communication tool and had become an integral part of the

world society. Then, these smart phones become popular

among learners. On top of that, learners are able to use

mobile phones in many ways. Through mobile phones, they can

access some information by means of internet, they can

communicate with friends anytime and anywhere, for

entertainment like mobile games, movies and social media

sites and also they can use their mobile phones in their

study.

Article XIV, Sec. 1 of the 1987 Philippine

Constitution states that:

The State shall protect and promote the right of all

citizens to quality education at all levels, and shall take

appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.

In European Journal of Scientific Research, Muhammad

and Tariq (2013) states that “mobile phones are used widely
by school learners”. So, this drastic growth of mobile

phones use by learners on campus has influence that are

obvious in education, health and in social life. These

mobile phones have affected learners in many ways either

positive or negative.

Learners use their mobile phones in their study. They

are able to search any kind of information or something

that is related to their studies. This encourages them to

seek some information such as articles, dictionary,

research, encyclopedia and many more.

Republic Act No. 9155, Sec. 2 states that:

It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect

and promote the right of all citizens to quality basic

education and to make such education accessible to all by

providing all Filipino children a free and compulsory

education in the elementary level and free education in the

high school level. Such education shall also include

alternative learning systems for out-of-school youth and

adult learners. It shall be the goal of basic education to

provide them with the skills, knowledge and values they

need to become caring, self- reliant, productive and

patriotic citizens.

According to Norazah,(2013) “Information is easy to

access with the mobile phones and its constants

connectivity to the internet”. This can help them finish

their assignments, projects and etc. faster. Moreover,

learners can save their time to find references from the

library. Mobile phones really have become part on learner’s

life on campus. Internet access has exposed many

adolescents to different kinds of contents.

Just of recent, the availability of different kinds of

affordable and inexpensive android mobile phones made it

very easy for the adolescents to have access to different

types of social media and pornographic sites where they

access, download, exchange and watch pornographic films of

different sexual orientations from all over the world. The

situation is worsened by the ignorance and carefree

attitudes of parents who are mostly oblivious of and

careless about these adolescents’ needs and challenges

(Taylor & Harper 2003).

The continuous downwards spiraling in academic

performance, the rise in cases of drop-outs, the increase

in most of the unacceptable, immoral, and antisocial

behaviors perpetrated by learners in secondary schools

today, which include truancy, massive failures, exam

malpractices, improper dress codes, indiscriminate sexual

relationships with opposite as well as same sex and most

violent behaviors, can mainly be attributed to the

influence of the mobile phone.

Republic Act. No. 10533 or also known as “Enhanced

Basic Education Act of 2013, K to 12 Curriculum” emphasizes

that the state shall establish, maintains and support a

complete, adequate, and integrated system of education

relevant to the needs of the people, the country and

society at large.

According to majority of research done so far, it was

discovered that the use of mobile phone in schools is

problematic. As Ling and Helmersen states, the mobile phone

is “at cross purpose with the mission of the school”. While

in school learners are supposed to take on their prescribed

roles as learner with full concentration on their studies

and free from contact with the outside world.

However, the mobile phone gives room to blending

learners’ roles with other roles thus distracting and

disrupting the learners’ academic work (Gergen,

2002;Halpen, 2003; & Franzini, 2002).

In the past when fixed telephones were the norm in

schools, there were minimum distractions and disruptions

but presently with the invasion of mobile phone and the

eagerness of parents to maintain contact with their wards,

the device is becoming part of the classroom. Thus, the

mobile phone has the power to undermine the schools’

authority and weaken their control over learners as well as

influence their level of academic performances.