Access to current information which may not be available in textbooks

According to the theory ANT, accessing and gathering of information through the use of smartphones will help students to explore new knowledge that will enhance their academic achievement. I observed that most of the learners who were participants in this study as uncovered in their transcripts are in the commercial subjects’ classes. According to the participating students, the information in most of the available textbooks for subjects such as Accounting, Commerce, and Geography is outdated because of revisions in the syllabi. The need for current information to augment these textbooks cannot be overemphasised. Smartphone use to access the Internet has alleviated this problem. The students also indicated that some of the current textbooks available in the school library are too limited in number to cater for all the students. Students also appreciate that the notes given to them by their subject teachers are inadequate, hence the need to supplement such notes through further research. Therefore, the use of smartphone technology has enabled them to access current information and new formats for those studying accounts.

Academic materials are now obtainable on the Internet, making the lives of students much easier. Information has now become an important aspect of education and the tablets and phones may benefit students in their research, and in gaining a worldwide perspective of theories. Outcomes of this study show that students have now embraced these aspects of research in their learning processes, owing to the use of smartphones. Students’ research skills have improved, thereby enhancing the students’ level of understanding of the concepts and topics taught in class. The participating students stated that during lessons the teacher tasks them to research on specific

topics: they are required to present their findings in class the following lesson.

The students have reported that they have observed improvements in the quality of academic presentations made by some students owing to the use of smartphone technology. Also, the depth of presentations or arguments made during these discussions has reached commendable levels. Some of the participating students even claim that they always work ahead of their teachers because of the use of smartphones in their research; whenever a teacher introduces a topic, they look for the relevant information on the Internet, gaining knowledge on the topic before the next lesson begins.

It should be noted that some subjects require views of various authors on certain topics in order to have a comprehensive perspective on the subject. This, therefore, requires students to buy or have access to several textbooks written by different authors on a single subject. However, with the use of smartphones, a student may gain access to the varying views of authors through the Internet. Students can download these various views either as e-books or as academic papers. This reduces the need to purchase the many hard copies of textbooks, making studying much more convenient and cheaper.

The participating students highlighted that some key textbooks like those on subjects such as geography and economics, are expensive to buy, and are mostly available in scant numbers in the school library, making them very difficult to access. However, students can access and download such textbooks from the Internet as e-books. Students claim that this is a cost- effective way of accessing information, rather than buying hard copies of the textbooks. Students also perceive smartphone access to be cheaper than buying the textbooks or buying computers and laptops. One of the students, Chamu, maintains that she has accessed many textbooks from the Internet through the use of her smartphone. Students such as Edwin pointed out that they use the smartphone to download academic materials for subjects like Mathematics, Geography, and Accounting, in the form of Portable Document Format (PDF). Panashe claims that he has so far realised a reduction in the cost of buying textbooks. According to him, some economics textbooks are more expensive than a smartphone; and yet a smartphone can contain several of these books when downloaded or obtained as soft copies. In support of the students’ view, research carried out by Anshari et al., (2017) also revealed that students use their smartphones to access teaching materials or supporting information, which are normally accessible through the Internet.

answers via the Internet. It was noted that some learners may be reluctant to seek clarification to a question which they may have in the classroom; however, using smartphones in a classroom set-up can avail such answers. Previous research has also shown that there are applications for just about everything, and on the smartphone, you can do your tasks a lot easier (Anshari et al., 2017). The participating teachers in this study also welcomed the use of smartphones, highlighting their role in enhancing wider research, which according to them is an effective way of imparting knowledge to students. Teachers have seen smartphones as helpful in encouraging students to work hard on their own. The teachers admit that some students who use smartphones have demonstrated a higher level of understanding on many topics, as seen in their improvement in answering questions, in their homework and class presentations. According to the teachers, students have become more resourceful; have developed self-confidence, presenting exciting arguments during discussions.

Parents also noted that their children are now able to achieve assignments or homework easily without much assistance from them. Some parents have also noted certain improvements in their children’s performance in school owing to the use of their smartphones. Others feel that the burden of buying textbooks has been reduced through the application of smartphone technology. In this study, the ANT has implied that humans and non-humans can work together, as when students use smartphones to access data. However, it should be noted that it is harmful academically when students use cell phones irresponsibly instead of concentrating on class participation (Dietz & Henrich, 2014).