Examining ‘active’ procrastination from a self-regulated learning perspective

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. This study examined the notion that active procrastinators are a positive type of procrastinators who possess desirable characteristics similar to non-procrastina-tors, but different from the traditional passive procrastinators. A two-step procedure was followed to categorise university students (N = 125) as active procrastinators, passive procrastinators and non-procrastinators. The results show that active procrastination was related mostly with the maladaptive motivational and behavioural characteristics described in the self-regulated learning literature. Active procrastinators reported low mastery-approach goal, high performance-avoidance and work-avoidance goal, and low intrinsic motivation and task value. They selected less effective strategies and performed the lowest on tests among the three groups. The results challenged the notion that active procrastination is conducive to learning. Future research directions and implications to teaching and learning are discussed. Procrastination remains to be a prevalent practice among students. More than 50% of American college students procrastinate consistently and problematically on academic tasks Although there is no universally accepted definition, academic procrastination can be defined as the lack or absence of self-regulated performance and the tendency to put off or completely avoid an activity under one's control (Tuckman, 1991; Tuckman & Sexton, 1989). Procrastination frequently results in students' underestimating the time necessary to complete tasks and prepare for examinations, missing deadlines for submitting assignments, low course grades and course withdrawal Because of its negative impact on students' well-being and academic performance , academic procrastination has been studied extensively in the past four decades (e. Research shows that procrastination is associated with low levels of academic self-efficacy and self-esteem, and high levels of anxiety Wolters, 2003). It frequently results in unsatisfactory performance (Solomon & Rothblum, 1984). Due to the maladaptive characteristics, both researchers and practitioners have long regarded procrastination as a pernicious form of …