Investigating Problematic Smartphone Use, Psychological Well-Being, and EFL Learning Outcomes of Tertiary EFL Students

Smartphones are essential for the academic and social lives of tertiary students, though the part smartphones play in English as a foreign language (EFL) education is complex. They can distract students, but they can also support autonomous language learning. The present study explored problematic smartphone use, smartphone-facilitated EFL learning methodologies, students’ psychological health and self-regulation, and perceived outcomes of learning the English language. The cohort comprised 125 EFL students in higher education in Sudan, Egypt and Jordan. A mixed methods approach was used in a descriptive survey design. Quantitative data was collected through a structured questionnaire and qualitative data through open-ended responses, which were thematically analyzed to contextualize the students’ experiences. The respondents reported high smartphone use: 60.0% of the participants described their usage as frequent. All the participants owned smartphones. Constructs from the questionnaire had good internal consistency. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were between .79 and .88, and composite reliability scores were between .83 and .90. In their qualitative feedback, students often link unregulated smartphone use with distraction, anxiety, fatigue, interruptions from notifications and issues with concentration. The EFL activities that were intentionally done on smartphones were perceived as useful for improving vocabulary, developing listening and pronunciation skills, strengthening grammar and writing, and encouraging confidence and learner autonomy. Smartphone activities also offer the potential for independent, flexible learning. The extent to which smartphones were used as either educational tools or distractions was dependent on students’ self-regulation skills. The findings imply that institutions should embrace fair policies that encourage intentional mobile-assisted EFL education and help students develop digital self-regulation and safeguard their well-being.