Mobile assisted language learning: Perspectives from senior high school students

Education has been in a drastic shift from face-to-face classes to distance education. Coping with this educational trend demands innovative practices to provide solutions to varied student conditions. Hence, this study explored the perspectives and experiences of Grade 11 students in the English for Academic and Professional Purposes (EAPP) classes in using mobile devices in the teaching-learning process in one of the public schools in the Department of Education Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach to conduct the research. Purposive sampling was used in the study that yielded 12 participants. Only Grade 11 students who use mobile devices to learn the lessons in EAPP class are eligible to participate in the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data from focus group discussion and in-depth interviews aided by Quirkos software version 2.4.1. The findings revealed that using mobile technology in the class made learning easy and accessible. It is perceived to be an alternative mode of delivering the lesson. However, the participants also perceived the use of mobile devices in the class as distractive. Hence, guidelines on the responsible use of mobile devices in the classroom must be formulated and implemented. Future researchers might consider adopting a mixed methods research design in exploring this area. This is to balance perspectives with concrete figures that may quantify significant improvement or significant differences in students’ learning.