A major new US School Phone Ban study has found that strict mobile phone restrictions in schools have little measurable impact on student academic performance, attendance, or online bullying. The findings challenge growing support for tougher phone policies in schools across countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States.
Researchers from leading American institutions, including Stanford University and Duke University, examined nearly 1,800 schools where students were required to lock away their phones during the school day. While phone usage dropped significantly, the study found limited evidence that bans improved educational outcomes.
Researchers Study Nearly 1,800 Schools
The US School Phone Ban study examined mainly secondary schools where students wore magnetic pouches to prevent them from using their phones all day
Data was collected from nearly 1,800 schools in the US and compared with those that have not instituted such strict phone bans.
As reported in the study, the overall impact on academic success was “consistently close to zero.” Test scores, student attendance, class engagement, and prevalence of cyberbullying did not improve much after the phone ban was imposed.
The research was conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Less Use of Phones Didn’t Lead to Better Outcomes
One of the main conclusions drawn from the analysis of how the implementation of school bans on cell phones affected students is the decrease in frequency of phone use during these three years. This was measured using GPS technology.
Nevertheless, less time spent on phones didn’t result in increased academic achievements or improved class participation.
According to the authors of the paper, “there was some modestly positive impact on mathematics achievement among older students, but somewhat negative educational impacts for some younger children.”
Moreover, there were no changes in the rates of student absenteeism and cyberbullying detected in this case.
Challenges Facing Schools in the Short Run
While the US School Phone Banstudy conducted regarding the banning of cell phones in schools has been successful in establishing some facts about the subject matter, it has also revealed the challenges that come with such policies.
After one year of adopting the policy of banning cell phones at school, the researchers noticed increased rates of student suspension coupled with a reduction in student wellbeing.
Nevertheless, after subsequent years, there was an improvement in disciplinary problems together with an enhancement in the welfare of the pupils.
One of the co-authors of the study, Professor Thomas Dee from the University of Stanford, cautions against using the results of the study as a justification to stop the ban on cell phones.
UK Government Sets Its Mind to Implementing Restrictions on Smartphones
As the US School Phone Ban study was concluded, the UK government is now proceeding with plans to implement compulsory phone restrictions in schools all over the United Kingdom.
This past month, the Department for Education proposed introducing laws that will force English state schools to impose tighter rules for using phones.
While more than 90% of English schools already apply certain phone restrictions at school, the new legislation is expected to make it necessary for children to give up their phones for the duration of classes.
It means that the study will become an integral part of the discussions regarding the effectiveness of such regulations in improving learning conditions.
Increasing Worry about Students’ Psychological Well-being
Advocates of tighter regulations continue to make their case that too much mobile phone and social media usage can be detrimental to students’ psychological well-being and focus.
The Girls’ Day School Trust, which oversees 25 schools, recently declared its intention to impose a complete ban on mobile phones for students in years 1 through 11 starting next month.
This policy was based on mounting scientific evidence that links social media usage to anxiety, addiction, and poor psychological well-being among adolescent girls.
Also, in England, the exam board, known as Ofqual, recently advised students not to take their phones and smartwatches into the exam hall after disqualifying over 500 students from sitting exams last year due to rule breaches.
Conclusion
The recent US School Phone Ban study reveals mixed results that will be difficult to interpret for policymakers and educators. Clearly, strict mobile phone bans help minimize mobile phone usage at schools.
However, there is little empirical evidence suggesting that phone bans significantly improve students’ academic achievement, attendance rates, and experiences with school bullying.
Also Read :- England School Mobile Phone Ban to Become Law Under New Government Amendment
