Recognition of the Perceived Benefits of Smartphones and Tablets and Their Influence on the Quality of Learning Outcomes by Students in Lower Secondary Biology Classes

Abstract

After the appearance of the first smartphones in 2007 and shortly thereafter, tablets became not only useful communication tools, but also objects that function as life organisation units. However, although they are ubiquitous, their actual and potential role in biology education has not been sufficiently explored. The objectives of the survey were to investigate the recent use of smartphones in the last two grades of Slovenian comprehensive school by 14- to 15-year-old students, their satisfaction with them for educational purposes, and the perceived impact on the quality of schoolwork in biology classes. Based on the responses of 313 lower secondary school students, we can conclude that by the end of compulsory education, almost all of them have used smartphones and tablets for educational purposes to some extent, even if the reported use in different school subjects is low. Based on structural equation modelling, which examines the influence of the constructs of support, perceived usability, perceived ease of use, attitudes, and perceived pedagogical impact on the quality of smartphone-based schoolwork, it can be concluded that only perceived pedagogical impacts and perceived usability impacted quality, leading to the conclusion that additional efforts should be made to explore their full potential and the gaps that should be addressed through formal education. Leaving students to their own devices is the worst solution, resulting in a permanent lack of skills, such as the ability to select and interpret information provided through the media.