Digitization of Schools and the Use of Mobiles in the Classroom. Analysis of the Spanish Case

In front of the Covid-19 pandemic, multiple educational contexts experienced a sudden and accelerated digital transformation. But this impulse is not new. Public and private initiatives in this direction have been designed and experimented with in Spain for years. In this sense, the role and use of mobile phones in the classroom has been a key and controversial aspect. The aim of this paper was to analyse the complexity of the digital transformation of schools based on the extensive, universal and controversial use of mobile phones by secondary school students. Based on qualitative research, nine active interviews were conducted with relevant actors in the field of educational technology in Spain. With the evidence, a discourse analysis was carried out where, based on the generation of consensus and agreements, the participants' statements were grouped into four categories. As a result, it is affirmed that in order to consolidate the digitalisation of educational centres and promote an adequate use of mobile phones in the classroom, it is important to: have appropriate technical elements and infrastructure; adequate educational regulations; strengthen the role of the school; and build new pedagogical models.