Yahoo! News (UK):
Smartphones and tablets could be banned from classrooms
13 September 2015
Behaviour expert Tom Bennett is to look into the impact of devices used by pupils under an expansion of his investigation into how to train teachers to tackle poor behaviour, Schools Minister Nick Gibb said. It follows concerns raised by schools inspectorate Ofsted over secondary-aged pupils using their phones at school. Mr Bennett said: ''Technology is transforming society and even classrooms - but all too often we hear of lessons being disrupted by the temptation of the smartphone. ''Learning is hard work and children are all too aware of this. So when they have a smartphone in their pocket that offers instant entertainment and reward, they can be easily distracted from their work. ''This is a 21st century problem and the majority of schools are dealing with it effectively. But I will now probe deeper into this issue, and behaviour challenges more broadly, to uncover the real extent of the problem and see what we can do to ensure all children focus on their learning.'' In May, London School of Economics academics released a study of schools in Birmingham, London, Leicester and Manchester which suggested restricting mobile phone use could improve results.
This article was published online by Yahoo! News (UK) on September 13, 2015
Link to article here
Related Publications
In brief ... Phone home: should mobiles be banned in schools?, Louis-Philippe Beland and Richard Murphy. Article in CentrePiece Volume 20, Issue 1, Summer 2015
'Ill Communication: Technology, Distraction and Student Performance', Louis-Philippe Beland and Richard Murphy, Centre for Economic Performance Discussion Paper No.1350, May 2015
Related links
Richard Murphy webpage
Education and Skills Programme webpage