Detecting the correlation between mobile learning behavior and personal characteristics among elementary school students

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to explore the features of mobile learning behaviors among Chinese elementary school students, and relationships between mobile learning behaviors and personal characteristics in mobile learning environment. The current study designed and developed a game-based educational mobile environment and conducted an experimental research. Eighty-three elementary students participated in this study. The results revealed the features of elementary school students’ mobile learning behavior including: 1) the students had reasonable login frequencies and learning time duration with appropriate guidance from the teachers, and satisfying learning performance by self-learning; 2) higher grade, learning style with active information processing and higher test scores in the conventional Chinese subject course had positive impacts on the mobile learning behaviors, but no gender difference was found. Regrettably, students showed more digital consuming than digital creating in the current study. The results could provide necessary suggestions on mobile learning for young learners.

KEYWORDS:

• Mobile learning environment
• mobile learning behavior
• elementary students
• blended learning
• personal characteristics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Zhong Sun, Associate Professor, College of Information Engineering, Capital Normal University, China. Herresearch interests include mobile learning and technology-enhanced language learning. She works with principals and teachers in K-12 for many years with the main aim to improve learning and teaching that enhances student mobile learning outcomes.

Ms. Xiajing Yao, Assistant Professor, School of Foreign Language Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), China. Her research area is in language learning through social networks, online learning and teaching language teacher education.

Ms. Jiaxin You, Graduate student, College of Information Engineering, Capital Normal University, China. She is experienced in mobile application development and analysis.

Ms. Wenli Du, Senior teacher of culture learning, Headmistress of Baijiazhuang Elementary School, Beijing, China. Ms. Du is experienced in integrating informational and mobile technology intoclassroom teaching.

Prof. Liming Luo, Professor, College of Information Engineering, Capital Normal University, China. His research interests include software development, machine learning and technology-enhanced learning.

ORCID

Zhong Sun http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5672-7469

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Technology (No. BAICIT-2016004).