Abstract:

Mobile phone ownership in China has been increasing dramatically, especially among those of school age, which has drawn the attention of scholars as they try to understand the usefulness and efficiency of mobile learning and the ways in which users interact with their mobile devices. Many studies have investigated students’ experiences of using mobile devices for learning under the guidance of teachers and have tried to develop an understanding of the impact of mobile learning on behaviour and performance. Researchers have looked at impacts such as engagement and the outcomes derived from mobile learning beyond the classroom as traditional instruction has been extended to encompass real world learning. Motivation has been explored through studying students’ practices in mobile learning and the impact of these upon learning and the bonds between learners and teachers. Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations have been identified when students are engaged in mobile learning activities. In addition to being offered instruction through the physical presence of teachers, students seem to be using mobile devices outside the classroom without instruction from teachers or parents. There has been less research into students’ motivation and autonomy in such mobile learning activities especially when teachers have no presence during learning activities. More studies are needed in order to understand the mobile learning practices of students as self-directed learners and what they think about mobile learning without direct instruction within different social and cultural contexts.

Little is known about Chinese secondary school students’ out-of-school mobile learning activities, against a background in which the school experience of these students is dominated by the examinations they have to pass, with the consequent school focus upon the factual, rote learning that these examinations emphasise. Therefore, the present study was designed to answer the following research questions with regard to secondary school students in China.

- What mobile learning activities did a group of Chinese secondary school students engage with outside of school?
- What was driving these students to use self-directed mobile learning activities?
- How did this group of students deal with mobile learning activities and curriculum-based tasks?
- How did the students perceive that the mobile learning activities had impacted upon them?

Results suggest that these students engage in both curriculum-based and interest-based mobile learning practices and approach these with both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for learning. Challenges emerged in terms of autonomy, guidance and support which appear to be influential factors in the acceptance and successful employment of mobile learning.

Keywords:

Mobile learning practices, motivation, autonomy, Chinese students, self-directed learning.