Back to school: Will Utah’s bell-to-bell school cellphone ban sharpen students’ classroom focus?

A local “science of learning” expert says phone prohibitions in classrooms will not ensure improved student focus. The state’s default school cellphone policy now restricts cellphones in school from opening bell to closing bell. Meanwhile, national studies of school cellphone ban outcomes examine only limited elements of student performance and environments. One key outcome that the early cellphone ban research has not adequately determined is whether or not student focus improves, said Borden. But Borden emphasized that teachers in a phone-free classroom still have to take the next step to promote better student focus.