MOst children in the UK Keep your own phone until the age of 11, Children in China get their first phones at an even younger age, with 88% of first to third grade students (ages six to nine). informed of Those who have their own smartphone.
If kids have their own phone, they can take it with them to school – perhaps encouraged to do so by their parents security reasons, However, for schools, mobile phones can be seen as a source of distraction. In FranceThe use of mobile phones has been banned during school hours. However, research with teachers in China found that It’s hard to ban phones in school.
Another approach might be the adoption of school policies – rules or guidelines – that acknowledge the necessity of phone calls in schools. our recent research It suggests that students in primary schools may also have the maturity to contribute to the development of appropriate policies.
some research Have got that banning the use of mobile phones may enhance the academic performance of students, especially for students disadvantaged background, but it is not consistently found in other research studies,
One reason for the inconsistency in research findings is that studies have focused on different age groups and little attention has been paid to children’s maturity and academic motivation. This is important, as older children may be able to use their phones more appropriately.
For example, 18 year olds have Celebrated To only use your phone during “in the middle” spaces in class, such as at the beginning and end of class or while waiting for instruction. Furthermore, using this phone was meant to be a solitary activity and therefore did not distract from learning. but it doesn’t seem possible young teens or children will behave the same way.
benefits of mobile devices
On the other hand, instead of considering mobile phones a distractionthey can be used to increase student engagement in learning. a Bring Your Own Device Initiative Tested in secondary schools in New Zealand, encouraging students to bring their smartphones and tablets to use in the classroom found improvements in their digital skills and increased opportunities for collaboration between students and teachers. happened.
Instead of banning phones outright, schools may consider introducing policies for mobile phone use that promote children’s development Digital skills and flexibility By teaching them about the benefits as well as the risks of using mobile phones. In addition to reducing potential distractions to learning, these policies can be used to encourage appropriate mobile phone use. This can be especially important for young children who may be less able to regulate their use. phone properly,
counseling with children
Taking into account the views of those directly involved in the policy – teachers, students and parents is important, Teachers must implement the policy, the child is the intended beneficiary of the policy and the views of the parents are likely to influence their child’s compliance with the policy.
in our research At the University of Staffordshire we conducted paired interviews with parents and their ten or 11-year-olds. First, they were asked their views on the benefits and risks of using mobile phones in school. Secondly, various school mobile phone policies were shared with him and he gave his views on these.
The findings showed that the children and their parents shared the view that phones were important for staying in touch. They were also aware of the disadvantages of having a phone at school, including bullying and the risks of not being able to access the Internet. Neither the parents nor the children were supportive of policies with a total ban.
We found that children contributed to the discussion in very mature ways, sometimes surprising their parents by how aware they were about the risks. Furthermore, with the support of their parents, they were able to come up with ideas to help them implement ideal policies and solutions. He demonstrated good awareness about the proper and improper use of mobile phones in the school. A parent-child pairing suggested the role of a “telephone prefect”, who would have a classroom mobile phone that the child and parent could use to communicate with each other during the school day.
Involving children and parents in policy development has the potential to increase the effectiveness and enforcement of policies – and may even reduce children’s problematic phone use. more broadly, Consultation with parents and students is recommended in advance when developing school mobile phone policies Ireland,
School policies that ban mobile phones in schools may be missing an opportunity to engage children and educate them about responsible mobile phone use.
all daySenior Lecturer in Psychology and Child Development, Staffordshire University And jennifer taylorSenior Lecturer in Qualitative Psychological Research Methods, Staffordshire University
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,
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