Academic interventions for academic procrastination: A review of the literature

ABSTRACT

Procrastination is a widespread phenomenon in academic settings. It has been studied from many different theoretical angles, and a variety of causes and consequences have been suggested. Recent studies support the notion that academic procrastination can be seen from a situational perspective and as a failure in learning self-regulation. It suggests that interventions should address situational as well as deficits in self-regulation to help students overcome their procrastinating tendencies. The present review examined the recent literature on causes and consequences of academic procrastination and the limited number of studies of academic interventions for academic procrastination. Findings of this review strengthen the need to further study the topic of academic interventions for academic procrastination and to develop effective interventions. At the end of this review, several suggestions for the development of academic interventions are outlined.     

Academic procrastination and academic performance: An initial basis for intervention

ABSTRACT

Academic procrastination is a prevalent phenomenon with a range of negative outcomes. Many studies focused on causes and correlates of academic procrastination; however, the study of interventions for academic procrastination is scarce. The present study is an initial effort to study the relationship between academic procrastination, online course participation, and achievement, as a basis for developing an intervention for academic procrastination. Findings indicated that studying procrastination was negatively associated with final exam grade as well as with the three online course participation measures. Final exam grade was positively associated with two of the online course participation measures, and they positively correlated with each other. In addition, results indicated that studying procrastination, in combination with online course participation measures, explained about 50% of variance in final exam’s grade. Frequency of activities in course Web site had the strongest positive effect on final exam’s grade.

These findings strengthen the notion that studying procrastination is an impediment to students’ academic performance and outcomes and clarifies the need to develop and study academic interventions for academic procrastination as a means to decrease its prevalence in academic settings.     

Prediction and job-related outcomes of procrastination in the workplace

Abstract

In the current study, we examined whether the impact of the Big Five on procrastination in an organizational context is similar to that in academic settings, and examined the role of dis-regulation of anxiety as a potential moderator of these relationships. One hundred and seven Israeli employees participated in the study. The results showed that agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively associated with procrastination, while neuroticism was positively associated with procrastination in the workplace. Moreover, the findings supported the hypothesis that dis-regulation of anxiety moderates the relationships between personality traits and workplace procrastination. These findings suggest that the link between personality traits and workplace procrastination is not stable, is affected by different contexts, and interacts with other personality characteristics (specifically, dis-regulation of anxiety).     

Developing an intervention to overcome procrastination

ABSTRACT

The main goal of this study was the development of a reliable intervention to overcome general procrastination orientated to college students, designed to be used in practical clinical work. The workshops involved six meetings based on behavioral and cognitive techniques, paradox intervention, and psychoeducation. 175 students participated voluntarily. Their procrastination levels were measured in a pretest, post-test, and a 3-month follow-up. After the first interview, the participants were randomly divided into three groups (Intervention A, Intervention B, and a control group with no intervention). There was a significant improvement after the intervention. After 3 months, the average score was still significantly lower than in the pretest, whereas the score of the control group remained unchanged. The participants in Workshop A scored significantly lower in the post-test than the ones in Workshop B. After 3 months, the participants in Workshop B scored significantly lower in the follow up. So both interventions resulted to be effective in reducing procrastination sustainably.     

Causes for procrastination in a unique educational workplace

Abstract

Teachers in hospitals are a unique phenomenon. Their students are sick, hospitalized children with a range of physical, emotional, and cognitive needs. Teachers are expected to be dynamic, flexible, creative, open-minded, and efficient to function in the most appropriate manner. However, a recent study showed that these teachers tend to procrastinate on some of the most common tasks that teachers perform on a daily basis in the regular school system. The present study was an initial investigation into the reasons for procrastination in teachers who work in two hospitals in Israel. Thirty-two teachers were interviewed. The findings indicated that the primary reason for procrastination among teachers in the hospital was professional role ambiguity, with emotional factors and situational determinants which were identified. Future research should further explore reasons for procrastination in the workplace, in general, and its association with professional role ambiguity specifically.     

“I’ll stop procrastinating now!” Fostering specific processes of self-regulated learning to reduce academic procrastination

ABSTRACT

Academic procrastination is considered to be a result of self-regulation failure having detrimental effects on students’ well-being and academic performance. In the present study, we developed and evaluated a group training that aimed to reduce academic procrastination. We based the training on a cyclical process model of self-regulated learning, thus, focusing on improving deficient processes of self-regulated learning among academic procrastinators (e.g., time management, dealing with distractions). The training comprised five sessions and took place once a week for 90?min in groups of no more than 10 students. Overall, 106 students completed the training. We evaluated the training using a comprehensive control group design with repeated measures (three points of measurement); the control group was trained after the intervention group’s training. The results showed that our training was successful. The trained intervention group significantly reduced academic procrastination and improved specific processes of self-regulated learning (e.g., time management, concentration), whereas the untrained control group showed no change regarding these variables. After the control group had also been trained, the control group also showed the expected favorable changes. The students rated the training overall as good and found it recommendable for procrastinating friends. Hence, fostering self-regulatory processes in our intervention was a successful attempt to support students in reducing academic procrastination. The evaluation of the training encourages us to adapt the training for different groups of procrastinators.     

Is procrastination all that “bad”? A qualitative study of academic procrastination and self-worth in postgraduate university students

ABSTRACT

Most of the existing literature investigated the construct of procrastination using quantitative paradigms—primarily self-administered questionnaires. However, such approaches seem to limit insight, elaboration, and deeper understanding of central facets that might influence procrastination. The present qualitative study explored how a sample of postgraduate students from Cambridge University represented academic procrastination framed within their personal perspectives and context using semistructured interviews. This study extends the existing quantitative literature by adding students’ personal narratives and voices. Ten postgraduate students were interviewed and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The preponderance of the literature on academic procrastination has described it as a maladaptive and detrimental behavior. However, the present study found evidence which supports the existence of a positive form of procrastination as well which suggests that procrastination can sometimes be worthwhile and allow further thinking time, allowing students to do a task and enable them to give more attention to detail which suggests a reconsideration of the negative image commonly associated with procrastination.     

Empower,not impose!—Preventing academic procrastination

ABSTRACT

In the frame of the goal setting process between supervisor and student while writing a thesis, it is hypothesized that mutually set goals (participation) and writing down the results of the meeting (recording) can prevent procrastination and increase engagement of the student. With a questionnaire relating to the latest written thesis (n?=?97, academic sample), the effects of goal setting characteristics (recording, participation) and task characteristics (ambiguity, control) on engagement and procrastination were examined. Results of a multiple mediation model indicate that recording indirectly influences engagement and procrastination through its effect on ambiguity. Moreover, participation indirectly influences engagement through its effect on control. It is concluded that goal setting characteristics and task characteristics can affect student’s procrastination. Thus, the present research provides criteria for how supervisors can prevent students from procrastinating.     

Correlates of procrastination and performance at work: The role of having “good fit”

Abstract

Occupational research often emphasizes the importance of workplace characteristics for understanding job stress and employee well-being, but the role of personal characteristics and having a good match with the job is mostly neglected. We explored how job crafting and feelings of being authentic at work were related to work engagement, work engagement of performance, and procrastination. A structural equation model analyzed self-reports from 380 Dutch office employees. Job crafting and authenticity were positively related to work engagement, and high work engagement predicted? better in-role and extra-role performance and less work procrastination. Moreover, performance and procrastination were negatively related. Results emphasize the importance of having a “good fit” between the employment settings and employees to promote engagement. By improving employee’s work engagement, organizations might improve the likelihood that personnel respond favorably with organizational goals and reduce the chances of engaging in workplace procrastination.     

Restructuring the Ecology of the School as an Approach to Prevention During School Transitions

Summary

Normative school transitions are often accompanied by deterioration in students' socio-emotional, behavioral and academic adjustment, and poorer outcomes in later adolescence and young adulthood. The current paper describes a preventive intervention for students experiencing normative transitions into middle grade schools and junior and senior high schools-the School Transitional Environment Project (STEP). The program is based on a transactional-ecological model of preventive intervention that employs a school restructuring and transformation approach in order to prevent the deleterious effects of school transitions and create school environments that are developmentally enhancing. Core features of STEP seek to change the ecological characteristics of the school setting in ways that: (a) reduce the adaptational demands of coping with flux and complexity in new school settings; (b) increase access to and the provision of important emotional and academic/instrumental support and guidance from school staff and other students; and (c) increase the students' sense of connectedness and belonging within the school. The present paper reviews findings from prior trials of the School Environment Transition Project, and presents the results of two additional STEP studies. The first reports on a long-term follow-up of STEP students who received the project in a large, urban high school that served students whose families were largely on public assistance. Results of this study revealed approximately 50% reductions in drop-out rates and significant positive effects on school performance and attendance patterns. The second study reports on an extension of STEP to junior high schools and middle grade students. Consistent with earlier studies, during the transition year, students in STEP schools reported more positive experiences in school environment dimensions that STEP sought to impact, and better adjustment outcomes than non-STEP students across academic, socio-emotional, and behavioral domains.     

Concealed Guns on College Campuses: Examining Support for Campus Carry Among Faculty,Staff, and Students

ABSTRACT

This study examined the factors that influence support for campus carry laws among a sample of approximately 2,700 faculty/administrators, staff, and students at a large, public university in Georgia. Although previous research suggests that support for campus carry may differ across groups on campus, there have been no studies that have examined why these differences may exist. In order to shed light on this understudied issue, this study estimated the extent of support for campus carry and examined if the predictors of support varied across campus populations. Results indicated that there were differences in the proportion of each group that supported campus carry with students (57%) reporting a higher level of support than staff (39%) and faculty/administrators (19%). Further, results from multivariate analyses indicated that there are some differences in the factors that predict support for campus carry for faculty/administrators compared to staff and students.     

The RAAMUS Academy

SUMMARY

The RAAMUS Academy (Responsible African-American Men United in Spirit) pilot project was initiated to provide a structured after-school learning environment for self development and academic achievement. It is based on “Edu-Culture” the process of using cultural identity as a catalyst for academic motivation. One hundred academy participants were administered a host of behavioral and attitudinal indices on cultural and academic related behaviors and attitudes (schools, sports, play, knowledge of Black history) using a new instrument, the SQAK (Student Questionnaire on Academic Performance, Cognitive Development and Social Knowledge). GPA, and self esteem were also assessed pre and post. Increases were found in knowledge of Black history, frequency of after school academic behavior and self esteem. Modest decreases were seen in social influence by others and social recreation. Parental feedback was highly positive and indicated a strong desire for after school programming for young men. The findings are discussed in the context of further development of the SQAK. and future youth interventions.     

Culture,Peers, and Delinquency

SUMMARY

A community-peer model of delinquency shows how family, school, and neighborhood variables affect adolescent peers groups, which then affect the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. The findings on culture and gender presented in the studies in this volume are discussed in relation to this model. Overall, the findings support the communitypeer model for males across the various cultural groups. Incarcerated females, however, attributed their delinquency more to family than to peers. Additional research is needed to clarify this difference. Implications for assessment, prevention, and intervention are discussed.     

Entry into Middle School

Summary

The transition to middle school has not been a frequent topic of empirical research. This article presents six guidcposts for conceptualizing this transition. These guideposts focus upon the transaction between attributes of students and multiple levels of their ecological environment. How these operate to influence students' adaptation to middle school is discussed and data which focus on the child portion of this transaction are presented. Predictive relationships between measures of pre-transition adjustment and adaptation following middle school entry are examined, with a special focus on social-cognitive problem solving skills. Other indices included self-concept, peer relations, academic performance, school behavior, and students' self-reported ability to cope with typical Stressors of middle school. Significant findings, as well as implications for research and intervention, are discussed in terms of an ecological model.     

Sexual Harassment and Bullying Behaviors in Sixth-Graders

ABSTRACT

Sexual harassment is widely viewed as a form of bullying, but has received little attention in studies of middle school students. A survey of 109 6th grade students found that 29% of students reported at least one sexual harassment experience in the past 30 days, with 11% reporting harassment once per week or more. Although boys and girls reported similar rates of harassment, there were important gender differences-boys were more likely than girls to try to ignore sexual harassment, but girls were more likely to tell someone about their experience and to tell the perpetrator to stop. There was high concordance between sexual harassment and bullying for both boys and girls. These findings indicate the need to recognize the role of sexual harassment in bullying in middle school.     

Alcohol Use and Violence Among Adolescents in a Multiethnic Setting

Abstract

This study compares the prevalence of drinking behaviors and violence (fighting, weapon carrying, being threatened and feeling unsafe) among Hawaiian, other Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), and Caucasian students, using data collected from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in Hawaii in 1997 and 1999 (N = 2,146). Native Hawaiians and Caucasians were more likely than other AAPIs to have had a drink and to binge drink. Drinking behavior was a predictor for all violence behaviors, increasing its likelihood as much as ten-fold. Violent behaviors differed by ethnicity. The findings highlight the need to develop culturally sensitive strategies for violence prevention and to explore risk factors among AAPI subgroups.     

Family Problems and Children's Competencies Over the Early Elementary School Years

SUMMARY

Problems experienced by families from a sample of at-risk, urban children were observed and recorded by social workers over a two year period. Four groups of families were distinguished through social worker case notes based on family problems and needs; families were grouped into stable high needs, stable low needs, change for better and change for worse categories. Children were then followed for three years, from the beginning of kindergarten to the end of second grade, and assessed on classroom competence and academic achievement outcomes. Classroom competence included the teacher's rating of both the child's social skills in the classroom, and the academic competence of the child. Academic achievement included a standardized assessment of both math and reading skills. Results indicated that children from families with stable low needs consistently perform with more competence in the classroom than children from families with stable high needs or those whose need status increased. Children from families with stable high needs score comparably to children from families with stable low needs on math, and no difference between groups were found in reading. Implications of these findings for strengthening family competence is discussed.     

Violence and Sexual Minority Youth

Abstract

Among the most maligned and harassed students in high schools are those who are perceived not to fit the norms for sexual behavior. These include gay and lesbian students, bisexual students, transgendered students, effeminate heterosexual males, and masculine-acting heterosexual females. Together these students are the targets of a wide range of negative behaviors from subtle exclusion to physical assault. In addition, many develop negative attitudes towards themselves which put them at increased risk for self-harm and suicide. The origin of these attitudes and behaviors is societal homophobia that fuels social aggression against this stigmatized group. Although challenging, educators can assist in undermining the effects of homophobia on sexual minorities through teaching tolerance, sponsoring support groups that address these issues, and providing educational opportunities about sexual minority youth.     

Socioeconomic Status and Behavior Problems

Abstract

Violence in the schools is a fundamental concern for students, educators and communities as they collectively address issues that make schools safer. A longitudinal analysis of disciplinary referrals was conducted with a large countywide school district to measure differences across socioeconomic status and school level. These variables proved to be critical in identifying and targeting schools that may need to be the focus of prevention and intervention efforts. Other suggestions related to the effects of school violence on academic instruction and methods for the targeting of services are discussed along with implications for educators and mental health professionals in school based settings.     

Clinical Application of the Service-Learning Model in Psychology

SUMMARY

Students in Abnormal Psychology who pursued a service-learning opportunity worked with troubled youth in the juvenile justice system. Consistent with an a priori hypothesis, results revealed the following pattern: (a) service-learning students and traditional students exhibited similar levels of academic performance early in the semester; and (b) as the semester progressed, and service-learning students became more involved in course-related service, they showed increasingly superior academic performance relative to traditional students. As hypothesized, service-learning students were more likely than traditional students to perceive themselves as: (a) achieving personal development in the area of social responsibility and (b) learning to apply course concepts to new situations. Preliminary evidence that the project made clinically significant contributions to the service agency is also presented. Innovations to be implemented in this ongoing project are discussed, and recommendations for research are noted.