An Investigation into the Nature of Academic Procrastination

An Investigation into the Nature of Academic Procrastination

KONCA, M. Yavuz
Semiz, Öznur

Academic procrastination is the voluntary delay of the completion of an academic task within the expected or desired time frame despite expecting to be worse off for the delay (Senécal et al. 1995; Steel 2007) . It is a dispositional trait that can have particularly serious consequences for students who are required to meet frequent deadlines. Research claims that 80%–95% of college students engage in procrastination (Ellis and Knaus 1977) and about 50% procrastinate in a consistent and problematic fashion (Day et al. 2000), delaying essential school-related activities. Some of the major causes of academic procrastination include fear of failure, inability to complete the task, a lack of time management or study skills, stress, or feeling overwhelmed with their work. This paper discusses the reasons why academic procrastination is a problem, why students procrastinate, and techniques for managing it. Implications for teachers will also be discussed.

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2009-06

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