The effects of smartphone usage on students’ academic performance: Case study of four selected tertiary institutions in North-West Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of smartphone usage on the academic performance of undergraduate students in tertiary institutions in North-West Nigeria. With the increasing integration of smartphones into daily life, understanding their influence on education has become essential. The study adopted survey research design. Data were collected through closed ended questionnaire instrument and administered to 400 students from the University and Polytechnic which 396 questionnaire were returned correctly. Simple random sampling technique was used. Descriptive statistical illustrator such as tabulations, frequency distribution and percentage were used for statistical analysis. The findings shows that 97.22% of the respondents identify the purpose of smartphone usage is mainly for making phone calls and 98.23% for chatting with friends and family (via apps such as WhatsApp). The result also reveals that 76.26% of the respondents utilised it for academic purposes. More so, the study indicates that 81.31.16% of the respondents strongly agree and agree that they spent more time in their studies rather than on their smartphone. Also the findings shows that 86.11% of the respondents combined agree that they use smartphone to obtain materials to complement their lecture note. Finally the study indicates that 74.24% of the respondents identified inadequate ICT infrastructure whereas 74.75% identified inadequate knowledge of the use of smartphones for learning as the challenges of smartphone usage to access or share academic materials. Therefore, the study recommends that tertiary institutions should consider incorporating smartphone usage into their curricula. By training students on effective ways to utilise smartphones for academic purposes, institutions can transform potential distractions into powerful learning. The study further recommends that the institutions should address infrastructural issues and provide resources for students, ensure that they can leverage smartphones effectively for their studies.