Smartphone Use, Learning, and Student Well-Being in Higher Education: Evidence from Bangladesh

Lubna Akter

doi:10.57092/ijetz.v5i3.853

Authors

Lubna Akter Assistant Professor, Department of Gender and Development Studies

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.57092/ijetz.v5i3.853

Keywords:

Generation Z, smartphone, academic-impact, Self Regulatian, Digital well-being, Bangladesh

Abstract

This study examined smartphone use and its implications for teaching, learning, and academic engagement among 353 university students aged 18–25 years in Rangpur, Bangladesh. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design combined a 29-item questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = .837) with interviews involving 10 students and 10 faculty and administrative staff members. Multiple linear regression identified communication dependency (β = .163, p = .002) and perceived academic impact (β = .141, p = .009) as significant predictors of smartphone-use frequency, explaining 10.0% of its variance. Findings indicated that extensive social media use coexisted with academic distraction, sleep disturbances, compulsive checking, and perceived isolation. Interviews also revealed the absence of institutional smartphone-use policies. These findings highlight smartphones’ dual role as learning resources and potential sources of academic disruption, underscoring the need for institutional guidelines and educational strategies that promote responsible use and support effective teaching, learning, and student well-being in higher education across diverse learning environments.

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