CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

This study reviewed related literature from books, journals, and

internet; organized under the following sub-headings:

i. Meaning and Concept of Mobile Phone

ii. Student Performance

iii. Impact of Mobile Phones on Students’ Performance

iv. Review of Related Literature.

2.1 Meaning and Concept of Mobile Phones

A mobile phone is a phone that can make and receive telephone

calls over a radio link while moving around a wide geographic area.

It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile

phone operator, allowing access to the public telephone network. In

addition, modern phones also support wide range variety of other

services such as text messaging, MMS, e-mail, internet access, short

range wireless communications (Infrared, Bluetooth), business

applications, gaming and photography. (Pew Research center, 2010)

The use of technology is a global imperative due to its

contributions to human existence and has enhanced the 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-Ardevol, Qiu, and Sey, 2007).

Thus, increased popularity of cell and smart phones in recent years

has attracted research attention. Cell phones are seen as a mixed

blessing. Teens 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 teens. Further, as handsets become more loaded

with capabilities ranging from video recording and sharing, to

music playing and internet access, teens and young adults have an

ever-increasing repertoire of use. 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).

2.2 Student Performance

Students’ academic gain and learning performance is affected by

numerous factor including gender, age, teaching faculty, students

schooling, father/guardian social economic status, residential area

of students, medium of instructions in schools, tuition trend, daily

study hour and accommodation as hostelries or day scholar. Many

researchers conducted detailed studies about the factors contributing

student performance at different study levels. Graetz (1995)

suggested “A student educational success contingent heavily on social

status of student’s parents/ guardians in the society. Considine and

Zappala (2002) noticed the same that parent’s income or social status

positively affects the student test score in examination. According

to Minnesota (2007) “the higher education performance is depending

upon the academic performance of graduate students. Durden and Ellis

quoted Staffolani and Bratti, (2002) observed that “the measurement

of students previous educational outcomes are the most important

indicators of students future achievement, this refers that as the

higher previous appearance, better the student’s academic performance

in future endeavors.

Lot of studies have been conducted in the area of student’s

achievement and these studies identify and analyze the number of

factors that affect the academic performance of the student at

school, college and even at university level. Their finding identify

students’ effort, previous schooling, parent’s educational

background, family income, self-motivation of students, age of

student, learning preferences and entry qualification of students as

important factors that have effect on student’s academic performance

in different setting. The utility of these studies lies in the need

to undertake corrective measures that improve the academic

performance of students.

It is generally assumed that the students who showed better or

higher performance in the starting classes of their studies also

performed better in future academic years at degree level. Everyone

can be surprised with this assumption if it could be proved

scientifically. However, it is also observed that many of the

researchers are not agree with this view point or statement.

 Parent’s socio-economic condition, which includes parents’

academic and professional qualification, revenue and occupational

affiliation, is also associated with academic gain of students. The

results of many studies confirmed that academic achievement of

students is contingent upon parent’s socio-economic condition. So the

students belonging from higher social economic backgrounds will

perform better than other students associated with low social

economic backgrounds. “Social and economic status of student is

generally determined by combining parents’ qualification, occupation

and income standard” (Jeynes, 2002). Among many research studies

conducted on academic achievement, it is not very surprising to

observe that Socio-economic status is one of the main elements

studied while predicting academic performance. Considine and Zappala

(2002), in their study on the influence of social and economic

disadvantage in the academic performance of school students noticed,

where the parents or guardians have social, educational and economic

advantage definitely strengthen the higher level success in future.

But it is also noted that these parents make available sufficient

psychological and emotional shore up to their children by providing

good educational and learning environment that produce confidence and

the improvement of skills needed for success.

On other hand Pedrosa et.al (2006) in their study on social and

educational background pointed out those students who mostly come

from deprived socio-economic and educational background performed

relatively better than others coming from higher socio-economic and

educational area. They named this phenomena educational elasticity.

It is obvious and true that the criteria for categorizing socio-

economic standard in different countries are different depending of

their norms and values. The criteria for low socio-economic status

for developed country will be different from the criteria of

developing nations and same will be in the case of developing and

under developing countries. “The total income of families, monthly or

annually and their expenditures also put a great effect on the

learning and academic opportunities accessible to youngsters and

their chances of educational success. Furthermore, he also pointed

that due to residential stratification and segregation, the students

belonging to low-income backgrounds usually attend schools with lower

funding levels, and this situation reduced achievement motivation of

the students and high risk of educational malfunction in future life

endeavors” (Escarce, 2003).Considine & Zappala (2002) observed that

children comes from those families having low income make known more

subsequent models in terms of learning outcomes; low literacy level,

low retention rate, problems in school behaviour and more difficulty

in their studies and mostly display negative attitude towards studies

and school. The view point of Considine and Zappala is more

strengthen by this statement of Eamon, According to Eamon (2005)

“Those students usually come out from low socio-economic status or

area show low performance in studies and obtained low scores as

compared to the other students or their counter parts”.

 It is also assumed that children learning outcome and

educational performance are strongly affected by the standard and

type of educational institution in which students get their

education. The educational environment of the school one attends sets

the parameters of students’ learning outcomes. Kwesiga (2002)

approved that performance of the students is also influenced by the

school in which they studied but he also said that number of

facilities a school offers usually determine the quality of the

school, which in turn affect the performance and accomplishment of

its students. Sentamu (2003) argue that schools influence educational

process in content organization, teacher and teaching learning and in

the end evaluation of the all. All these educationists and

researchers agreed with this principle that schools put strong effect

on academic performance and educational attainment of students.

Students from elite schools are expected to perform good because

they attend these elite schools and the main reason behind is that

these schools are usually very rich in resources and facilities. Some

researchers have the view that school ownership and the funds

available in schools do indeed influenced the performance of the

student. Crosne and Elder (2004) noticed that school ownership,

provision of facilities and availability of resources in school is an

important structural component of the school. Private schools due to

the better funding, small sizes, serious ownership, motivated faculty

and access to resources such as computers perform better than public

schools. These additional funding resources and facilities found in

private schools enhance academic performance and educational

attainment of their students. It is also very pleasing that students

from Govt schools colleges and universities in Punjab Pakistan are

providing the laptops by the Punjab Government, so that the students

could interact with the whole world and know about the latest

developments and innovations.

2.2 Impact of Mobile Phones on Students’ Performance

Apart from the negative effect through the usage of these

phones by the students, it also have some other effects;

which maybe psychological. The addictive nature of cell phones

has concerned psychologists for years.

Recently, psychologists have warned that phone users are

especially at risk of becoming addicted to their devices. In a recent

study by Wargo, (2012), the subjects checked their phones 34 times a

day. People may check their phones out of habit or

compulsion, but habitually checking can be a way to avoid

interacting with people. Some people can experience withdrawal

symptoms typically associated with substance abuse, such as anxiety,

insomnia, and depression, when they are without their phones and all

these are embedded to the course of academic relapse of students who

fall into this category. Surprisingly, these addictions take strong

toll on the student without them noticing it and some of them find it

hard to believe that they are addicted to their phones. Thus, giving

more credence to the amount of time meted out to these phones than
academics. Chóliz, (2010) pointed out that excessive use of and

dependency on the cell phone may be considered an addictive disorder.

In order to address some of the issues attached to cell phones

researchers chose different area of interest and teasing them out.

Theory on adolescent egocentrism, pointed out heightened self-

consciousness during adolescence. The theory adolescent egocentrism

stated that it is a stage of self-absorption where the world is seen

only from one's own perspective. Thus adolescents are highly critical

of authority figures, unwilling to accept criticism, and quick

to find fault with others. Adolescent egocentrism helps explain

why teens often think they are the focus of everyone attention. Also,

adolescence is a time of considerable physical and psychological

growth and change, which falls in line with the study of the

student in the secondary Schools being examined, on cell phone

usage and acquisition among other. Most students like to keep

track ahead of their peers or to have an ontological balance

in their peer group which they find themselves. At the

expense of their notions, they try to live the life which is expected

of them in the social settings which they find themselves instead of

the ideal life; thereby pushing them to the limit.

These ostentatious mode of using and disposing of mobile phones

especially, the internet enabled phones at will, in order to be

abreast of current trends may inhibits the student from

focusing on their academics and allowing them to do better

in their studies which is their primary target as students

in the secondary schools. Their academic performance is a fulcrum

for their future roles and the roles that will be vested upon them by

their predecessors as the new generations.

In an attempt to discuss about the issue of this topic on mobile

phones and its impact on students’ performance, personal observations

has been seen among student using the phones for visiting social

platform, such as the Facebook, Twitter, 2go, MySpace and instant

messengers (yahoo messengers, msn messengers and blackberry pinging

instant messengers) especially the internet enabled ones, during

academic periods and off academic periods indicating that the

internet phones have a strong effect on the students. Calling to mind

the judicious gap which has been mended by technology, it should be

noted that the usage of phones are not intended for negative purpose

and influence; however, the attitude and time channeled towards these

devices has enslaved the student, thereby making them addicts, Also,

they affirmed that young people between 15 and 19 admitted being

addicted to their cell phones (Naval, Sádaba and Brigué, (2004).

Also, British scientists noted that more and more people are getting

addicted to their cell phones, causing stress and irritability (BBC,

2006). While specialists indicate that the abuse of the use of cell

phones could be typified as ‘a disorder of addiction that has to

be stopped as soon as possible’ (Paniagua, 2005). Reawakening,

to the recalcitrant mode of the student academic prowess in the

academic ‘world’ there is a need to address the students

prerogative in the society which serves as issues in

empowering them towards helping to the development of the

society which also address the issue of gender equality, if

we are looking towards positive changes in the society and

development.

2.3 Review of Related Literature

Some of the common mobile phone related research topics

include cell phone use while driving (Caird, Willness, Steel,

and Scialfa,2008;Horrey and Wickens, 2006; McCartt, Hellinga, and

Braitman,2006),cell phone etiquette (Lipscomb,Totten, Cook,and Lesch,

2007),cell phone cultures and behaviors (Campbell and Park,2008;

Bakke,2010;Ling,2004),text messaging(Pettigrew,2009),health risks

from cell phone radiation. Some other studies reported that the

presence of cell phones provide a higher sense of security in

potentially harmful situations. This has contributed to an

increase in cell phone value, leading cell phone users to

perceive cell phones as a must-have tool (Nasar, Hecht, and Wener,

2007; Walsh et al., 2008). The use of Mobile Phones has also been

addressed with other focuses, such as enhancing Academic performance

in Distance Education. Jean-Marie, Viljoen and Carl, (2009). On Semen

Analysis in men attending infertility Clinic: an observational study.

During the study, their objective was to investigate the effect of

cell phone use on various markers of semen quality, and in their

conclusion stated that "Use of cell phones decrease the semen quality
in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and normal

morphology. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the

duration of daily exposure to cell phones and independent of the

initial semen quality" Costly Cell Phones: The Impact of Cell Phone

Rings on Academic Performance. During the study, "Findings indicated

that cell phone rings during a video presentation impaired academic

performance" (Ashok, End, Worthman, Mathews, and Katharina, 2008).

However, this study therefore seeks, to find out the impact of

the use of mobile phones on students’ performance. Taking students of

secondary schools as case study at both private and public secondary

schools.

The study was carried out in order to understand and bring to

fore if the students’ academic performance is affected due to the

time channeled to the phone during class hours which has a

general perception as a medium of distractions to students. The

retrieval of the information gotten from this study was done

with structured questionnaires administered to 200 students to obtain

their personal opinions, while 15 in-depth interviews were conducted

to have a grounded knowledge opinions of the students

simultaneously with the data gathered during the course of

this study. The analysis of the students’ perception showed that

the internet enabled phone usage does not affect the academic

performance of the students but distractions by the usage of phone

were notably admitted.