Complexities of Managing a Mobile Phone Ban in the Digitalized Schools’ Classroom

Abstract This longitudinal qualitative study followed a teacher team at an upper secondary school during the implementation of a mobile phone ban during class, which was an initiative the team had jointly decided upon. Data consist of audio-recorded weekly team meetings, during which the teachers discussed their initiative. The teachers’ implementation strategy was to inform the students about the ban at the start of the semester, and to collect their mobile phones before starting each class with the motivation that the ban would improve the learning environment. This strategy failed. Exceptions were made to the ban for several reasons. The collection procedure was cumbersome, time-consuming, and caused negative tensions between teachers and students. The team discussions made it apparent that with the teachers’ consent, the students’ mobile phones were already used as pedagogical tools complementary to other digital technologies in class.