Procrastination, time management and self-efficacy among university students

Procrastinação, Gestão do Tempo e Autoeficácia em Estudantes Universitários

Procrastinación, gestión del tiempo y autoeficacia entre estudiantes universitarios

This study sought to verify whether there are differences in rates of procrastination, time management and self-efficacy among university students when scores are controlled by sex or by period of education, and whether self-efficacy scores have predictive power on time management and procrastination. 800 university students participated in the study. The instruments used were the Academic Procrastination Motives Scale, Time Management Inventory and Self-efficacy Scale in Higher Education. A MANOVA test with post-hoc t tests and a structural equation model were performed. Self-efficacy was able to successfully predict procrastination and time management behaviors. A higher rate of procrastination behavior was identified among women at the end of the course when compared to beginners, and a lower rate of procrastination among male students than among female ones. The study is concluded by underlining the importance of programs to foster these skills among undergraduates.

Keywords:
Self-efficacy; Procrastination; Time Management; Higher Education