A STUDY OF THE ADOPTION OF THE USE OF SMARTPHONES AMONG STUDENTS

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Cell Phones at School: Should They Be Allowed? - FamilyEducation

Abstract

 

The study investigated the adoption of the use of smartphones among students of Kaduna Polytechnic and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic. Most research on smartphones use has often been concentrated on its use for academic purposes. However, this study specifically deals with adoption and use of smartphones among students in the polytechnics. Survey research method was employed with semi-structured questionnaire as the instrument which was administered to 325 Higher National Diploma (HND) students of Kaduna Polytechnic and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling technique was adopted to draw samples for the study. The study adopted Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) as the framework for analysis. The findings show that majority of respondents own and fully utilize smartphones for different purposes. The study revealed that students devoted significant time using smartphones for academic activities. The findings also revealed that majority of the students used academic related applications like dictionary, visiting website pages, reading academic related document such as PDF files, word, et cetera. It was further discovered that accessing internet, availability of accessing many different information, portability of smartphone and others were identified as the factors that motivate usage of smartphone among students. The study concluded that Polytechnic students in Kaduna State adopted the use of smartphones for different purposes and devoted significant time using it for academics. The study recommends that students should be guided and counseled on the use of smartphone at the point of entry for their counseling unit, where they will be told how, when and why to use it. This approach will enhance their knowledge and understanding of smartphone use for academic purposes in a tertiary institution such as the polytechnic.

 

Table of Contents

 

Title Page………………………………………………………………………………………

Declaration……………………………………………………………………………………

Certification………………………………………………………………………………….

Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………….

Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………………

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………

Table of Content…………………………………………………………………………….

List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………

Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………………………

CHAPTER ONE………………………………………………………………………………

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………

1.1 Background of the Study………………………………………………………………….

1.2 Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………………………

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study…………………………………………………………

1.4 Research Questions of the Study…………………………………………………………

1.5 Significance of the Study………………………………………………………………….

1.6 Scope of the Study……………………..…………………………………………………

1.7 Operational Definitions of Terms……………………………………………………….

CHAPTER TWO…………………………………………………………………………….

Literature Review and Theoretical Framework……………………………………………

2.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………

2.2.1 The Mobile Phone………………………………………………………………………

2.2.2 The Mobile Phone and Culture……………………………………………………

2.2.3 Mobile Devices: The Smartphone……………………………………………………

2.2.4 Uses of Mobile Phone by Students………………………………………………

 

2.2.5 Habit Forming and Smartphone Use………………………………………………..

2.2.6 Using Smartphone for Mobile Learning…………………………………………….

2.2.7 Uses of Mobile Phones in Educational Context……………………………………

2.2.8 Smartphones in Higher Education………………………………………………….

2.3 Review of Empirical Literature…………….…………………………………………

2.4 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………………………

2.4.1 Uses and Gratifications Theory………..……………………………………………

2.4.2 Evaluation of the Uses and Gratifications Theory…………………………

2.4.3 The Use of the Theory in the Media Studies…………………………………………

CHAPTER THREE………………………………………………………………………..

Research Methodology……………………………………………………………………..

3.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..

3.2 Research Method……………………………………………………………………….

3.3 Population of the Study…………………………………………………………………

3.4 The Sampling Technique………………………………………………………………

3.5 Sample Size……………………………………………………………………………..

3.6 Instrument for Data Collection………………………………………………………..

3.7 Method of Data Analysis……………………………………………………………….

3.8 Validity and Reliability of Research Instrument……………………………………..

CHAPTER FOUR………………………………………………………………………….

Data Analysis and Presentation……………………………………………………………

4.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..

4.2 Data Presentation……………………………………………………………………….

4.3 Discussion of Findings……………………………………………………………………

CHAPTER FIVE……………………………………………………………………………

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations…………………………………………….

5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………

 

5.2 Summary of the Major Findings………………………………………………………

5.3 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….

5.4 Contribution to Knowledge…………………………………………………………….

5.5 Recommendations………………………………………………………………………

5.6 Suggestion for Further Studies………………………………………………………..

References……………………………………………………………………………………

Appendix 1…………………………………………………………………………………..

Appendix 2

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List of Tables

Tables Page

Table 1: Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents…………….…………………….

Table 2: Smartphone Access……………………………………………..………………………

Table 3: Purpose of Smartphone Use……………………………………….……………………

Table 4: Uses of Smartphone………………………………………………..…………………..

Table 5: Average Hours Spent Using Smartphone Daily………………………………………..

Table 6: Period of Using Smartphone…………………………………………..…………….

Table 7: Category of Smartphone Applications Mostly Used……………………………….…

Table 8: Academic Applications Mostly Use by Students………………………………………

Table 9: Frequency of Use of Smartphone Academic Application Usage……………………..

Table 10: Social Networking Sites/Entertainment applications mostly visited By Students..

Table 11: Frequency of Use of Smartphone Usage for Social Networking Sites………………

Table 12: Accessing Internet as Motivation for Smartphone Use…………………………….

Table 13: Accessing Different Information Motivate Smartphone Usage………….……….

Table 14: Smartphone Portability Motivate its Usage by Students…………………………..

Table 15: Maintaining Contact with Friends, Relatives and Business Partners as Motivation of Using Smartphone……………..………………………………..

Table 16: Quick Responses of Social Network Motivate Smartphone Use………….………

Table 17: Accessing Banking Service & Other Financial Transactions as Motivation for Using Smartphone……….…………..………………………………………

Table 18: Affordability of Cheaper Brand of Smartphone as Motivation of its Usage……………..……………………………………………………….…

 

Abbreviations:

KADPOLY Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna

NUBAPOLY Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria

UGT Uses and Gratification Theory

HND Higher National Diploma

SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences

BBM Blackberry Messenger

GSM Global System of Mobile Communication

CDMA Code Division Multiple Access

PC Personal Computer

PDA Personal Digital Assistant

WMD Wireless Mobile Device

GPS Global Positioning System

ICT Information and Communication Technology

PU Perceived Usefulness

PEU Perceived Ease of Use

EOU Ease of Use

BI Behavioral Intention

PDF Portable Document Format

OS Operating System

APIs Application Performance Interfaces

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The use of smartphones by all and students depend on the choice or interest. The choice or usage is often necessitated by the satisfaction the users want to achieve. But most importantly, the features on any particular phone determining what the users may use it for. Digital technology has recorded advances resulting in integration of hitherto separate media, called convergence. As a result of the advancements in digital technology, cell phones have also become multifunctional and are more sophisticated offering users with several opportunities of access various media forms. Social networks have emerged to make the use of cell phones popular among young people, particularly students in institutions of higher learning. The youth rely on the versatility of smartphones to use social media spaces and other applications for their purposes.

Technology has made contributions to human existence and has enhanced socio-economic relations globally. Wireless communication has emerged as one of the fastest diffusing media on the planet, fuelling an emergent “mobile youth culture” (Castells, Fernandez, Qui and Sey, 2007). Thus increased popularity of cell and smartphone in recent years has attracted research attention. Cell phones are seen as a mixed blessing. Youth say phones make their lives safer and more convenient. Yet they also cite new tensions connected to cell phone use (Pew Research Center, 2010).

As cell phones have become more available, they are increasingly owned and used by young people. Again, as handsets become more versatile with capabilities ranging from video recording and sharing, to music playing and internet access, young adults have an increase of usage.

 

Indeed, we are moving into an era when mobile devices are not just for talking and texting, but can also access the internet and all it has to offer (Pew Research Center, 2010). The cell phone is one of the most rapidly growing new technologies in the world (Rebello, 2010). In 2001, cell phone users were less than a billion worldwide with the majority of the users in the developed countries. By the end of 2010, however, cell phone subscriptions had reached five billion worldwide with subscriptions from developing countries outnumbering that of the developed countries (Kelly, 2009; Rebello 2010). Obviously, this increase includes a sharp increase in the number of cell phones used by young people.

Smartphones are the new generation of mobile phones that emerged over the last few years and already have become popular. Smartphones with their mini keyboards are not just phones, but have computer functions such as email, calendar and address book, and office programs for reading and editing. The multimedia phone features such as camera, video, sound recordings. Smartphones can be customized with new software, and the variety of software programs is increasing. The social media communication platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and games are especially popular (Kibona and Mgaya, 2015).

The use of smartphones can be addictive. This is because the smartphone has become a very useful tool in the hands of users. Since it affords one ease of access to e-mail, social media network, websites, text and video, it has become a constant companion. However, there are concerns about the use of cell phones. In some cases smartphones are used for positive purposes like learning, maintaining social contacts and storing information, it can also be for negative purposes while also having negative effects on its users. The use of phone is only a tool, but with effects on users. Young people use smartphones a lot and are very much a part of their life. The outcome of a study by the University of Navarra affirms that young people admit being addicted

 

to their cell phones (Naval, Sadaba and Brigue, 2004). Also, British scientists noted that more and more people are getting addicted to their cell phones, causing stress and irritability (BBC, 2006).

Smartphone abuse to addiction is becoming more problematic nowadays in Nigeria because most students whether higher learning students or low level students are more addicted to applications found on Smartphone so that they download and run numerous applications with Smartphone even without Internet connection. Just because of not knowing the implication of it for their learning and how to better use it to enhance their academic endeavour (Kibona and Mgaya, 2015). Smartphones are mobile phones which incorporate advanced capabilities. They are an advanced form of a Wireless Mobile Device (WMD) that can function like a computer by offering features such as personal digital assistant (PDA), internet access, email, and Global Positioning System (GPS). They typically also have other features such as a camera, video, MP3 players, as well as mobile phone functions. Examples of smartphones are Apple’s iPhone, Treo Pro Palm, and Samsun Galaxy amongst many others (Backer, 2010).

The smartphones, being a very new invention of humanity, became an inherent part of human’s life. The smartphone combines different sophisticated features. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the smartphone as “a cell phone that includes additional software functions (as e-mail or an Internet browser)”. According to Miakotko (2017), a smartphone allows users to keep pictures, memories, personal info, correspondence, health and financial data in one place. Smartphones also became an integral part of modern telecommunications facilities. The phones allow people to maintain continuous communication without interruption of their movements and distances. Smartphones and handheld devices (HHD) combine advanced computing

 

capability, such as internet communication, information retrieval, video, e-commerce and other features that make the device as one of the necessities for many people.

A technology that has truly changed the way the world operates is the smartphone. It is not just a communication device; it is a handheld personal computer that has become an extension of peoples’ lives. It is more than just a device to communicate with others; it is integrated into daily life as a communication tool and as a multimedia device (Oksman, 2010; Westlund, 2010). Smartphones allow users to be connected all the time to whomever they want, wherever they are (Baron, 2010). The uses and gratifications that are experienced by people using Smartphones are exponential in nature. It is a continually growing entity due to the ever changing capabilities and communications options that smartphones provide.

People use mobile phones for many purposes: for private communication, keeping connected with friends and family, entertainment, sharing photos, videos, news, daily status updates, seeking information, knowledge and a variety of other needs (Matanhelia, 2010; Oksman, 2010; Scarpino & Alshif, 2013). This is a worldwide phenomenon that crosses socioeconomic boundaries and is used for instantaneous communication and Internet access (Yelton, 2012). Students can and do take advantage of this new technology. While living at school they are able to stay connected with their families, friends. With the constant ability to stay informed and bond with family and friends regardless of the distance, uses and gratifications of smartphones are addressed (Nurullah, 2009).

During the 1970s, when cellular phones were emerging in the market, the first mobile phone was the size of a small briefcase. In the 1980s and today cellular phones are products which are even smaller than a pack of cigarettes. They are offered in different colours for their attraction to customers, and some are designed for men and some for women. They have a number of features

 

to choose from, like ring tones, mobile music, push-to-talk, television clip playing, streaming video, wireless cameras, browsers and entrance exam preparation reviews.

There are two types of mobile phone; the low-end and the high-end. Low-end mobile phones are referred to as feature phones. The high-end mobile phones, with more advances in computing abilities are referred to as smartphones. The first smartphone was designed by IBM; it was called Simon. Smartphones allow the user to install much more advanced applications based on a specific platform. Mobile phones use rechargeable batteries to keep the power to upload applications. The Nokia communicator lines were the first of Nokia smart phones, starting with Nokia 9000 released in 1996. They run complex operating system software providing a basis for applications developers. The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) requires a small microchip to function which is called the Subscriber Identity Module, or SIM card. The SIM card is used to identify the subscriber on mobile telephony devices such as mobile phones. It is approximately the size of a small postage stamp. It is placed underneath the battery in the rear of the unit (Heeks, 2008).

It is apparent that smartphones will continue to develop because developers are increasingly using the newest technology, becoming smaller and more lightweight (Yang, 2010) and also because of their Perceived Usefulness (PU) and the Perceived Ease of Use (PEU) (Park & Chen, 2007). In addition to new media, traditional media such as newspapers, radio and television are available on smartphones through the Internet (Oksman, 2010). It is this emergent technology that allows the continued use of traditional and new forms of media anywhere and anytime.

Prior to the invention of the Internet and mobile phones, the telephone was the main medium used to share news on interpersonal level. People used the telephone for social needs and keeping up with their local community of friends and family (Wei & Lo, 2006). The telephone is still

 

considered an interpersonal communication device and could be categorized as a mass medium that has gratification factors as motives for telephone use, “including sociability, entertainment, acquisition, and time management” (Lee, 2006; Leung & Wei, 2000). With the invention of mobile phones and eventually Smartphones there has been an explosive growth in the potential uses and gratifications for smartphone users. The use of smartphones makes it easier and effortless to get summaries of newspapers, watch TV news broadcasts and to listen to radio news programs (Oksman, 2010). It appears smartphones have emerged as an important contemporary source for news delivery (Yang, 2010) especially because of the worldwide popular use of smartphones. There are approximately one and half billion smartphone users in the world; Android smartphones have 798 million users, Apple smartphones 294 million users, and Windows smartphones 45 million users (ABIresarech, 2013).

Students in the tertiary institutions are among the users of smartphones. Among the reasons they use smartphones as already presented earlier. However, students need smartphones because it appears it will help them in their academic studies – access to research materials, discussion group, chat room etc. This study examined the adoption of the use of smartphones by Polytechnics students in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

 

1.2 Statement of the Research Problem

 

Smartphone usage among students is growing exponentially (Woodcock, 2012). The use of Smartphone has brought many changes in students’ academic activities (Cheung 2008). Students in the future can exert more power in a way that they could not have imagined before using Smartphone (Cairncross, 2008). Students prefer smartphones while purchasing new phones However, the evolution of these technologies can lead to increased stress. Also, there is high tendency or temptation of the students to interact with their smartphones in the class in the

 

course of lectures, either to respond to received messages, or to browse the internet. These, no doubt, take heavy toll on the level of concentration devoted to the lectures.

Interestingly, this is obviously imperative as Geser, (2009) and Junco, Merson and Salter (2010) had observed that students have consistently displayed higher level of attachment to their smartphones which could serve as distraction from their academic activities. Naval, Sadaba and Brigue (2004) say that the use of phones is not intended for negative purpose and influence; however, the attitude and time spent on these devices have obsessed the student.

Nigeria is a developing country, the social status of student vary as some are from humble background and may not afford smartphones and those who could afford smartphones may not use them for academic purposes, but may own them as status symbols. The need for status may make students to explore avenues to own a smartphone, which in characteristic of Nigerian students; many would have found avenues of having a smartphone. This inspired the need to conduct a deeper investigation on the uses and gratifications of smartphones among students and to test the effectiveness of uses and gratifications theory on adoption of the use of smartphones.

Since there is widespread penetration of smartphones, it is expected that students will own smartphones. A cursory observation on campuses shows some level of smartphone use among students. However, having smartphone does not say much about the uses that students make of them. There is need to inquire students use of smartphones to understand their explanations of what they use them for. Another aspect to examine is the factors that motivate students in adopting the use of smartphone and the numerous applications that are found on it. It is against this background that this study seeks to examine the adoption of the use of smartphones among Polytechnic students in Kaduna State.

 

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

 

The aim of this study is to examine the adoption of the use of smartphones among students of Kaduna and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnics. To guide the research the following objectives were set:

1 To examine the uses that Kaduna and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnics students make their smartphones

2. To identify the smartphone applications used mostly by the Kaduna and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnics students

3. To examine the motivations for using smartphones among Polytechnic students in Kaduna and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnics

 

1.5 Research Questions of the study

 

1. What uses do students in Kaduna and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnics make of their smartphones?

2. What are the smartphone applications that are used by the students of Kaduna and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnics?

3. What are the motivations for using smartphones among Polytechnic students in Kaduna and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnics?

 

1.6 Significance of the Study

 

The data generated for this study will help us to understand the uses that students in tertiary institutions make of their smartphones. It will help us to understand students’ use of smartphones. It will also help us to understand what applications are used by students, and the motivations for using smartphone. It will help in designing relevant content for students and will also help to design appropriate ways of making students to use their phones for academic

 

purposes. The findings will also help to understand the motivations in term of uses and gratifications. This will help Polytechnics authority to understand how best to sustain the students attention in using smartphones. Also this work will be of immense benefit to the field of library and information sciences as it will be addition to existing literature. It shall also add to the available academic literature on smartphones. Also the findings could be used by academic advisers and counselors to proffer professional advice to the Polytechnic authorities on how to regulate the smartphone usage among Polytechnic students.

 

1.7 Scope of the Study

 

The essence of this research work is to primarily study the adoption of the use of smartphones among Polytechnics students in Kaduna State. The research focused on the Higher National Diploma students of Kaduna Polytechnic and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria. The period for the study is six months that is from October 2015 to March 2016. The schools were selected because most of the researches related to smartphones were conducted on the students of universities while students of colleges of education and Polytechnics were left uncovered that is why the researcher selected Polytechnic students to go and see how they adopt the use of their smartphones.

 

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