Experiences of Indonesian junior high school students with mobile learning as a sociotechnical infrastructure

This study examines mobile learning in formal junior high schools by conceptualizing mobile technologies as a part of sociotechnical infrastructure that shapes students’ participation in everyday learning, rather than merely as instructional tools. Using a descriptive quantitative survey design, data was collected from 3,290 students enrolled in public and private junior high schools in Jambi City, Indonesia. The study explores three aspects of mobile learning: (1) the primary technologies used in learning activities, (2) students’ perceived educational functions of learning technologies, and (3) the infrastructural constraints influencing technology-supported learning. The findings indicate that smartphones and tablets were the most frequently reported technologies used for learning activities. Respondents generally associated learning technologies with multiple perceived educational functions, including increased motivation, improved understanding of learning materials, and enhanced creativity. The survey also indicates that network and internet connectivity were the most frequently reported constraints affecting students’ participation in technology-supported learning. These findings suggest that students’ experiences with mobile learning are closely associated with the availability and reliability of supporting digital infrastructure. Rather than providing direct evidence of educational governance processes, the findings offer an empirical basis for interpreting mobile learning through a sociotechnical infrastructure perspective. The study contributes to the literature by providing large-scale empirical evidence from junior high schools in a Global South context and by highlighting the importance of considering infrastructural conditions when examining technology-supported learning. The findings also suggest the need for future research that directly investigates governance arrangements, institutional practices, and socioeconomic factors influencing mobile learning.