Abstract
Integrating mobile technological tools into educational settings has been a game-changer in the way people teach, learn and engage with content. In science education, where engagements could sometimes be flooded with misconceptions and abstractions, the " bring your own device " (BYOD) strategy has proven to be helpful in creating meaningful engagements through applications like Mentimeter, Quizzes, Gimkit and Nearpod. This study investigates the potential of leveraging mobile devices brought to class by students for real-time engagements and formative assessments with the main aim of enhancing students' participation and attainment of learning outcomes in science classrooms. The study aims to provide insights into the effectiveness of the BYOD concept in creating an interactive and responsive learning environment for students. The study employed a sequential mixed methods design in capturing natural sciences students' engagements using the user engagement scale (UES) to measure engagement and semi-structured focus group interviews to capture students' experiences. A sample of 114 natural sciences students was purposefully selected to participate in a semester-long intervention where mobile devices were used for baseline assessments and interactive engagements during lectures. The researcher used the mentioned mobile learning platforms for questioning, instant feedback, and interactive engagements that were aligned with the topics being covered in the targeted semester. Pre-and post-UES data were analysed using statistical methods to measure changes in engagement before and after mobile learning interventions, while qualitative data were thematically analysed to identify patterns in student experiences during the semester-long intervention. Findings revealed significant improvements in student engagement and learning outcomes. Mobile-based formative baseline assessments through Quizzes and Mentimeter were noted for facilitating the connection between prior knowledge and new knowledge, thus increasing students' attainment of the learning outcomes during lectures. There were also significant positive changes in the user engagement score from pre-to post-UES. Additionally, 85% of students reported higher levels of motivation and interest in science topics, citing the immediacy of feedback and the interactive nature of the mobile assessments as key factors. Several advantages of the BYOD methods were also revealed as students generally felt confident using their own devices, which they already had a mastery of. Based on the findings, it is recommended that mobile learning tools be integrated into learning, especially to stimulate the recall of prior knowledge, experiences and engagement. Some setbacks of mobile formative assessment applications and the actual devices may always arise with technical issues and low internet connectivity. Nevertheless, the benefits of integrating engagement tools nested within the BYOD strategy outweigh the challenges. Trends in the data also highlight the importance of user-friendly interfaces and seamless integration of mobile learning tools into existing teaching plans for science students. Some further implications of the findings are captured in the manuscript.