USING SMARTPHONES AT SCHOOL: THE TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVE

The contribution presents a study that involved 159 Italian teachers and investigated their perspective on the use of smartphones in school. The study analyzes, both by age groups and by school level (primary, lower secondary, upper secondary): for which educational activities teachers use smartphones; how often they believe teachers should use smartphones during lessons for targeted educational activities; to what extent they believe teachers should prohibit students from using smartphones during lessons. Overall, teachers reported using smartphones primarily for online research in class, interactive questions, and group work in class. Differences were also found depending on the school level. For instance, the educational activity for which teachers most commonly use smartphones is online research in class for both lower and upper secondary levels, while it is out-of-class activities in the field concerning primary school. 50% of teachers, both overall and at each school level, believe that teachers should use smartphones occasionally for targeted educational activities during lessons, between 35% and 40% never or rarely, and approximately 10% often or always. Most teachers, both overall and at each school level, believe that smartphone use should always be prohibited for students during lessons. This statement is shared by 40% of teachers overall, and in particular, by 57% of primary teachers, 41% of lower secondary teachers, and 36% of upper secondary teachers. The results will be discussed in light of recent research on the educational use of smartphones.