From Distraction to Engagement: Exploring Smartphone Use and Digital Learning among Generation-Z Students

Background/purpose: Smartphones have evolved into indispensable learning tools, offering continuous access to information across both formal and informal educational environments. Recent research illuminates the complex interplay between students’ academic engagement (SAE), digital competency (DC), and the digital informal learning (DIL) experiences of Generation-Z students. This interplay is further nuanced by educators' roles in promoting constructive smartphone use (SPU) in the classroom. This study investigates into the relationship between SPU and the academic engagement of Generation-Z students, focusing specifically on the moderating role of educators’ democratic behavior towards knowledge acquisition (EDBTKA). Materials/methods: Utilizing a positivist paradigm, deductive approach, and quantitative methodology, cross-sectional survey data were gathered from 384 students at private universities in Bangladesh through convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using SPSS (v26) and Smart-PLS 4.0. Results: The findings reveal that SPU exerts a direct and positive influence on the SAE of Generation-Z students. Additionally, digital EDBTKA was found to moderate the relationship between SPU and DC, as well as between SPU and DIL, albeit without a significant moderating effect on the relationship between SPU and academic engagement. Conclusion: This study underscores the positive impact of smartphones on the SAE of Generation-Z students and emphasizes the mediating role of DC and informal learning, as well as the moderating influence of educators’ democratic behavior. To enhance SAE and informal learning experiences among Generation-Z students, educators are encouraged to integrate smartphones positively in classrooms, cultivate DC, and foster democratic behavior.