Teacher perspectives on implementation of a phone free policy in a Texas high school

Abstract This single-site implementation case study examined teacher perspectives on a bell-to-bell phone-free policy in a rural Texas high school during the 2024–2025 academic year. Three anonymous online surveys were administered at the beginning of the year (BOY), middle of the year (MOY), and end of the year (EOY) to all 39 eligible teachers and included Likert-type items and open-ended prompts. Survey responses were anonymous and not linkable across waves, and quantitative results are reported descriptively by wave using valid-n denominators for each item. At each timepoint, most respondents reported positive attitudes toward the policy and high perceived administrative support, while a minority of respondents reported increased workload. One follow-up teacher interview (August 2025) was conducted to clarify implementation procedures and to elaborate themes in open-ended responses. Qualitative data emphasized perceived benefits (e.g., improved attention, engagement, and peer interaction; reduced drama) and identified implementation challenges including parent communication, accommodations for medical needs, and the importance of consistent enforcement across classrooms. Findings are presented as context-specific teacher perceptions intended to inform implementation planning in similar settings.