EXPLORING VARIABILITY IN PERCEPTIONS REGARDING THE IMPACT OF MOBILE PHONES ON PUPILS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AT AGPUDLOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: BASIS FOR EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION

Mobile phones have revolutionized communication and become indispensable in daily life, particularly affecting educational environments. While these devices offer unprecedented access to information and learning resources, they have sparked concerns among educators and parents regarding student distractions, diminishing attention spans, and the destruction of traditional study habits. This study investigated the effects of mobile phone usage on academic performance among pupils at Agpudlos Elementary School, explicitly examining perceptions across different demographic variables. The research employed a descriptive correlational design, utilizing surveys and questionnaires to collect data from 30 pupils. Statistical analyses, including T-tests and Levene's tests, were conducted to examine potential differences in mobile phone perception based on age, sex, and grade level. The study focused on two key dimensions: Obsessiveness and Usability. Results revealed no significant differences in pupils' perceptions regarding mobile phone obsessiveness (t-value = 0.664, p-value = 0.512, sig. = 0.527) across demographic variables. Similarly, perceptions of mobile phone usability showed no significant variations (t-value = -1.368, p-value = 0.203, sig. = 0.000), leading to the acceptance of the null hypothesis. These findings suggest uniformity in how pupils perceive mobile phone usage, regardless of their demographic characteristics. The study recommends developing targeted awareness programs for pupils, parents, and teachers to promote positive mobile phone usage in educational settings. Future research should explore specific interventions to maximize the educational benefits of mobile devices while minimizing their potential negative impacts on academic performance.