By Marion Terry and Amjad Malik
October 2021
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What you need to know

This summary is a condensed excerpt of a research report on the factors that affect grade 9 students: social relations (e.g., friends), extra-curricular activities (e.g., sports), and leisure-time activities (e.g., playing video games and texting). The research purpose was to examine the correlations between various factors and academic performance.

Why this research is important

Our findings are remarkable in that such a small research sample yielded notable correlations, many of which are statistically significant. The results affirm school counsellors’ concerns over the relationships between non-educational video gaming and texting, academic performance, and other school experiences.

How the research was conducted

Complete data sets were obtained for 21 grade 9 students in Northern Manitoba. Academic performance data consisted of the students’ attendance and final marks in core subjects. Survey data consisted of the students’ answers to 40 questionnaire items. Pearson product-moment calculations determined correlations between the students’ attendance and school marks. Spearman rho calculations determined correlations for the Likert scale survey answers.

What the researchers found

Males

The more grade 9 boys play video games, whether the experiences are positive or negative,

• the less likely they are to have positive school experiences such as earning higher marks and feeling good in school classes.
• the more likely they are to have negative school experiences such as feeling sleepy in class and falling behind in their assignments.
• the more likely they are to have negative self-concept attributes such as feeling that other people are happier than they are, feeling that they “mess up” everything, and feeling really hurt when they are criticized.
• the more likely they are to have negative peer relationship attributes such as fearing rejection by their friends.
• the less likely they are to engage in other non-academic activities such as playing sports and working during the week.

The more grade 9 boys send text messages and have positive texting experiences,

• the more likely they are to have positive school experiences such as earning higher marks and feeling good in school classes.
• the less likely they are to have negative school experiences such as feeling sleepy in class and falling behind in their assignments.

The more grade 9 boys think, or are told, that they text too much,

• the less likely they are to attend school classes and to have positive school experiences such as feeling good in school, liking their teachers, and having teachers say that they have a good attitude toward school.
• the more likely they are to have negative school experiences such as feeling sleepy in class and falling behind in their assignments.

Females

The more grade 9 girls think that they play video games too much or miss school because of playing video games,

• the less likely they are to attend school classes and have positive school experiences such as earning higher marks.
• the more likely they are to have negative self-concept attributes such as feeling that other people are happier than they are.

The more grade 9 girls lie about how much time they play video games or are told that they play too much,

• the less likely they are to earn higher school marks.
• the more likely they are to have negative self-concept attributes such as feeling really hurt when they are criticized.

The more grade 9 girls send text messages and have positive texting experiences,

• the more likely they are to have positive school experiences such as liking their teachers.
• the more likely they are to have positive peer relationship attributes such as being easy to get along with.

The more grade 9 girls think that they text too much,

• the less likely they are to have positive peer relationship attributes such as being easy to get along with.

The more grade 9 girls lie about how much time they spend texting,

• the more likely they are to have negative school experiences such as feeling sleepy in class.

How this research can be used

School professionals can make data-informed decisions to warn parents and students about playing video games and texting excessively. Logic tells us that any activity that lures students away from their schoolwork will eventually compromise academic performance.

Acknowledgements

The researchers acknowledge the support provided by administrators, teachers, and other staff in Frontier School Division, Manitoba.

About the Researchers

Marion Terry, PhD

Terry@BrandonU.ca

Dr. Marion Terry is a professor in the Faculty of Education at Brandon University.

Amjad Malik, PhD

Amalik@UCN.ca

Dr. Amjad Malik is a professor at the University College of the North, Manitoba.

Keywords

• academic performance
• adolescence
• cell phones in the classroom
• school attendance
• school grades
• school performance
• teenagers
• text messaging
• video games
• video games effects

Editor: Christiane Ramsey

Research at Brandon University follows comprehensive policies designed to safeguard ethics, to ensure academic integrity, to protect human and animal welfare and to prevent conflicts of interest.