Ķvlog

Classroom Technology From Our Research Center

How Strict Are School Cellphone Policies?

By Arianna Prothero — November 13, 2024 | Corrected: November 15, 2024 2 min read
Young student using on smartphone in classroom
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Corrected: A previous version of this story should have said the survey data included teachers and principals only.

Cellphones have become public enemy No. 1 in many schools. They distract students from lessons, fuel bullying and fights, and give constant access to social media, which many Ķvlog worry is corroding kids’ mental health.

In response, an increasing number of states and local school districts are considering or passing policies to restrict students’ cellphone use in schools.

Forty-two percent of teachers and principals say that students are not allowed to use their cellphones at all during the school day, although they are allowed to bring them to campus, according to a survey by the EdWeek Research Center conducted in September and October. Another 7 percent say that cellphones are not allowed on campus at all.

The survey findings show that schools are trying a variety of approaches to curb students’ cellphone use, from all-out bans to more tailored restrictions that allow students to use their phones during certain times of the day or in designated areas.

Still, having cellphone restrictions on the books is one thing, and enforcing them is another. A common complaint among Ķvlog in EdWeek’s surveys is that cellphone policies are often not enforced by administrators or fellow teachers.

More schools are banning cellphones—but we’ve been here before

Cellphone restrictions in schools are on the rise again after years of schools scaling back on them, said Kevin Thomas, a professor of instructional technology at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky. Thomas studies teachers’ attitudes toward cellphones, with a particular focus on preservice teachers, and said that teachers’ views of cellphones in classrooms and cellphone restrictions in schools have ebbed and flowed over the past 15 years.

In 2010, concerns that cellphones would degrade students’ writing skills and make it easier to cheat fueled restrictions around their use in most schools, he said.

“So many schools were banning phones because it was just a new technology,” he said.

However, Thomas said, around 2015 teachers had warmed considerably to the idea of students using cellphones in class. Schools started loosening restrictions as smartphones became ubiquitous and Ķvlog found advantages to students having access to educational apps and the internet on their personal devices in class.

Now, cellphone restrictions are back, he said, partly due to a growing awareness—and concern—about the effects of social media on teenagers’ wellbeing and the impact of cellphones on learning. Another factor, he said, is that many schools invested in purchasing tablets and laptops during the pandemic, nullifying the educational value of cellphones in classrooms.

“We needed them in the classroom because we didn’t have 1-to-1 [technology],” Thomas said, and Ķvlog were willing to overlook these downsides. “I think that those are the reasons that we’re kind of seeing the pendulum swing back towards banning the phones in the classroom.”

education week logo subbrand logo RC RGB

Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by 
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Climb: A New Framework for Career Readiness in the Age of AI
Discover practical strategies to redefine career readiness in K–12 and move beyond credentials to develop true capability and character.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Classroom Technology Most Teens Believe Conspiracy Theories, See News as Biased. What Can Schools Do?
Teenagers—like adults—struggle to recognize accurate, unbiased information in a chaotic digital media landscape.
6 min read
Fake News concept with gray words 'fact' in row and single bold word 'fake' highlighted by black magnifying glass on blue background
Firn/iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology Spotlight Spotlight on Blended Learning
This Spotlight will help you analyze key research on school tech use, explore strategies for engaging virtual instruction, and more.
Classroom Technology Opinion This Group is Trying to Teach ‘Digital Literacy.’ Here’s How
How can students avoid getting duped by deepfakes online?
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Classroom Technology Opinion Students Are 'Digital Natives,' But Here’s Where They Struggle
The internet is awash with dubious claims. How can Ķvlog teach students to distinguish fact from fiction?
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty