Graduation Year

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ed.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Curriculum and Instruction

Major Professor

Bárbara B. Cruz, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Yi-Hsin Y. Chen, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Sarah S. Kiefer, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Veselina V. Lambrev, Ph.D.

Keywords

Academic procrastination, Chinese International students, Internal Motivation, Self-determination theory, Self-regulation

Abstract

This research aimed to explore academic procrastination among Chinese internationalstudents, using NVivo 12 to analyze data gathered through interviews with six participants. The study identified both internal and external factors contributing to academic procrastination, with social networking and software being the most significant external factors and disinterest and avoidance being the most significant internal factors. The participants did not identify the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant factor in academic procrastination. The study analyzed gender differences in academic procrastination among Chinese students. The pandemic had different effects on men and women, with men downplaying the concept of time and women experiencing low mood and reduced learning quality. Men in the study tended to procrastinate more due to health, task difficulty, time management, and perfectionism. Women tended to procrastinate more due to disinterest, language barriers, anxiety, and lack of support. Male students tended to use plans with friends and sitting in the front row to force homework completion, while female students sought help and set earlier deadlines. Both genders see procrastination as harmful to physical and mental health. While participants recognized the negative impact of academic procrastination on their lives, they reported few effective methods for addressing it. One noteworthy observation is that among the various effective strategies against procrastination proposed by Chinese international students, all included elements of social networks and relationships. This sheds light on how we might assist this particular group in combating academic procrastination.

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