Abstract:

The smartphone has emerged as a crucial tool in teaching that can transforming the way teachers perceive technology in the classroom. Teachers' perceptions of the use of smartphones in their teaching vary, but overall, there is a mix of positive and negative attitudes. A study conducted with 44 high school science teachers in Israel aimed to examine their perceptions and usage of smartphones in teaching. The findings revealed that approximately 45% of the teachers expressed concerns about smartphones causing distractions and making it difficult to maintain focus on learning and student control. Despite the high availability of smartphones to students, around 70% of teachers stated a preference for teaching with computers rather than smartphones. However, nearly all teachers acknowledged various advantages of smartphones, such as promoting motivation, increasing enjoyment of learning, facilitating cooperative learning, enhancing digital literacy, and addressing individual differences among students. Despite recognizing the benefits, most teachers reported infrequent use of smartphones during teaching. Only about 11% of teachers stated using smartphones, primarily for digital quizzes (e.g., Kahoot), surveys, or information searches. None of the teachers utilized smartphones for illustrating or simulating scientific phenomena or conducting virtual experiments, even when computer availability was limited in their schools. The limited utilization of smartphones in teaching, despite teachers' understanding of their inherent advantages, suggests the presence of technological and psychological barriers. These barriers, which include concerns about distractions and a lack of familiarity or confidence in incorporating smartphones, significantly impact teachers' approach to teaching and hinder smartphone integration. Overcoming these barriers is a crucial challenge in promoting mobile learning.

Keywords:

Teaching with smartphone, teachers' perceptions, mobile learning.