Students perform better academically when they put their phones away during lessons. The effect is greatest among those who already have the lowest marks, according to a new international research project.
Your phone vibrates, a notification pops up, or you just take a quick glance at the screen. Even minor interruptions can affect your concentration - not least when you're in class.
Now, a large randomised trial involving more than 16,000 students in India shows that teaching without access to mobile phones can improve students' academic performance. The researchers also found that students who experience phone-free teaching first-hand become more supportive of the restrictions.
'There has been extensive debate about mobile phones in the classroom, but the experimental evidence has been limited. Here, for the first time, we can demonstrate on a very large scale that removing phones from the classroom actually makes a difference to learning,' says Andreas Bjerre-Nielsen, associate professor at the Department of Economics and SODAS, University of Copenhagen.
Phones go into the box when class starts
The trial involved 16,683 students across ten higher education institutions in the Indian state of Odisha. The students were randomly divided into groups, with some required to put their phones in a box at the start of each class, while others continued as normal.
- 16,683 students at ten higher education institutions in India took part in an experiment.
- Some groups of students were required to hand in their mobile phones at the start of each class, while other groups were allowed to keep their phones.
- Phone-free teaching led to higher average marks.
- The effect was greatest among students with low marks prior to the experiment.
- The students became more supportive of mobile phone restrictions after experiencing them first-hand.
The researchers monitored the students' grades, attendance and experiences throughout an entire semester. At the same time, surveys and classroom observations were carried out.
The result was clear: students in the phone-free classes achieved higher grades on average than the control group. The effect corresponds to an improvement of 0.073 standard deviations, which is on a par with many other educational interventions used to enhance learning.
Weakest students benefit the most
The greatest benefit was found among students who had the lowest marks prior to the trial. For them, the improvement was considerably greater than for high-achieving students. The researchers also observed signs that the gap between students' marks narrowed in the phone-free classes.
'One of the most interesting findings is that the effect is greatest among the students who are already performing the worst. This suggests that mobile phone restrictions can not only improve learning in general, but may also help reduce achievement gaps,' says Andreas Bjerre-Nielsen.
The researchers found no evidence that the improved results were due to higher attendance. The analysis therefore suggests that the explanation more likely lies in what happens inside the classroom. When mobile phones are no longer competing for attention, more mental capacity is likely to be freed up for the lesson.
Greater support after trying the scheme
A frequently cited argument against mobile phone bans is that students will perceive them as unnecessary or restrictive. However, the study showed the opposite. Students who had experienced phone-free lessons became more positive towards mobile phone restrictions and were more likely to feel that they benefited from them. At the same time, support for having absolutely no restrictions on mobile phone use in lessons declined.
The researchers also observed less disruptive behaviour and fewer conversations unrelated to the lesson in the phone-free classes. Teachers, meanwhile, spent less time on their own phones during lessons.
'We see an interesting connection between the measurable improvements in grades and the students' own attitudes. When they experience the benefits first-hand, they also become more inclined to support the rules,' says Andreas Bjerre-Nielsen.
The researchers emphasise that the study was conducted in higher education settings and that further research is therefore needed to understand the effects in primary and secondary schools. However, the findings contribute new evidence to a debate that many countries have already begun to translate into policy.
The study 'Phones impede learning: Evidence from a massive phone-free classroom experiment' has been published in the journal Science and was written by Alp Sungu, Pradeep Kumar Choudhury and Andreas Bjerre-Nielsen. Read it here.
