The Relationship Between Smartphone Use and Academic Performance: A Case of Students in a Malaysian Tertiary Institution

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which students in one Malaysian university use smartphones to support their school-related learning and how these activities relate to CGPA. For seven consecutive days, 176 students from three academic programs recorded their daily smartphone use for learning. Significant differences were found in uses of smartphones depending on academic program. Further, it was found that the more students utilized their smartphone for university learning activities, the lower their CGPA. The outcome of this study suggests a need to evaluate and better understand the instructional uses of smartphones for tertiary students.