A new report says allowing one-minute phone breaks in class may boost focus and test scores.

International researchers have found that one-minute phone breaks during class were more effective at improving student performance than outright banning phones. 

The study, conducted over an entire academic term, revealed that these brief breaks reduced overall phone use and led to higher test results.

The research compared one-, two-, and four-minute technology breaks with non-phone-related question breaks. 

One-minute breaks proved the most efficient, significantly cutting phone usage and correlating with higher test scores.

Lead researcher Professor Ryan Redner from Southern Illinois University suggested that one minute might be just long enough for students to check important messages without being drawn into extended distractions.

“One possibility is that one minute is enough to read and send a smaller number of messages,” Redner said.

The study, published in Frontiers in Education, placed the technology breaks 15 minutes into lectures, defining phone use as any interaction with the device. 

During one-minute breaks, students consistently achieved higher test scores, often exceeding 80 per cent.

While the reason for the effectiveness of one-minute breaks remains unclear, the researchers believe it offers a promising alternative to banning phones. 

Redner says he hopes the findings will inspire educators to adopt reinforcement-based strategies to reduce phone use without penalties.

However, the study also showed high variability in phone usage across sessions, making firm conclusions difficult. 

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