Running head: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC 1

PERFORMANCE

The Relationship Between Time Management and Academic Performance

Büşranur Ekinci

İstanbul 29 Mayıs University

Author Note

Büşranur Ekinci, Department of Psychology, İstanbul 29 Mayıs University.

Contact: busranekinci@gmail.com
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMICPERFORMANCE 2

Abstract

The aim of the current research was to determine the relationship between time management

skill and academic success of students. In this survey research, 250 undergraduate students in

İstanbul University were selected, then were measured their level of time management skill

by using TMQ (Time Management Questionnaire) and identified their GPA (Grand Point

Average) scores. The values were analysed and the results showed that there is a positive

correlation between time management skill and academic success.

Keywords: time management, academic success

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 3

Relationship Between Time Management and Academic Performance

Someone may be able to manage money. Someone may even be able to manage people. But

someone won’t get far in life if someone cannot manage time. Time is a priceless time, all

people know that time cannot be changed and cannot be taken back. Nowadays, all of the

people have so much stuff which they have to do, but also they have so limited time for all of

this job. The most effective solution to overcome complex issues that people have their daily

or academic life is time management.

Time management is self-management with an explicit focus on time in deciding what

to do; on how much time to allocate to the activities; on how activities can be done more

efficiently and on when the time is right for particular activities. These are also some

definitions of time management. Gerald (2002) defined time management as a set of

principles, practices, skills, tools and systems that work together to help you get more value

out of your time with the aim of improving the quality of your life. Argarwal (2008) in his

contribution asserts that time management is usually a personal problem and if one

instinctively knows what the right is, then there is no need to worry (Aduke, 2015).

Knowing time management can play a large role to overcome so many complicated

problems. By using time management skill, people can increase their performance and save

themselves from wasting time. Understanding and using time management maybe cannot

solve the people’s problems, but it can help people to find effective solutions and results.

According to many psychologists improving time management skill affects personal

productivity and overall performance. Time management also increases the quality of life

reduces stress level and provides balanced life.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 4

Most of the students complain about that they don’t have enough time to their

homework, projects, reading and writing assignment, exams, etc. Previous research (Elena-

Simona Indreica et al., 2011) shows that almost 73% of students start studying their lessons

less than one week before the exam period. Less time and so many lessons which they have to

study increase their stress and depression level in the exam week. In trying to read all the

books and chapters assigned, meet paper deadlines, and participate in extracurricular

activities, college students may become overwhelmed with feelings that there is not enough

time to complete all their work adequately. This seems particularly true of students who hold

part-time or full-time jobs as well as attend school. Poor time management behaviours, such

as not allocating time properly or last minute cramming for exams, have been frequently

discussed as a source of stress and poor academic performance (Gall, 1988; Longman &

Atkinson, 1988; Walter & Siebert, 1981).

Academic performance is the result of the education that depends on achieved

educational goals of students or teachers. Academic performance is generally measured by the

average of all of the exams result and completed assignments at the end of the semester. This

grand point average simply called GPA. In the literature, there are a huge number of academic

studies focusing on the relationship between time management and GPA (Britton and Tesser,

1991, Indreica et al., 2011, Macan et al., 1990). Brinton and Tesser’ research (1991) showed

that time management skills affect university student’s academic success. Indreica et al.

(2011) obtained that using time management skill increase GPA. Macan et al. (1990)‘s

findings supported that time management affects academic performance. It can be seen that

using time efficiently is an important fact of student’s success and time management skill is

the key of the higher GPA.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 5

Students complain about the lack of time they have to complete their assignments

before deadlines, so a lack of time management is the biggest reason for poor academic

success. Although time management is one of the effects of high level the grade point average

(GPA). Because of this, in this research were determined to investigate the effects of time

management on student’s academic success. The purpose of this study is understanding the

relationship between time management and academic success. A research question is ‘Is there

any relationship between time management and academic performance?’ The research

hypothesis is that there is a significant positive correlation between time management skill

and academic success.

Method

In this study will be tested the main hypothesis; time management skill and academic

performance of students have a positive correlation between them. This study will be based on

previous research (Britton and Tesser, 1991, Macan et al., 1990) because of that method of

this research will be survey research.

Participants

In the experiment will be included 250 participants, all students in the psychology

department at the same school which is İstanbul University. The participants which of 125

female (%50) and 125 male (%50) students a range of 18 to 25 ages will be had a similar

background in the level of income and social life conditions. Selected sample will be highly

homogenous psychological and physical health.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 6

The participants will be identified low academic performance, average level and high

academic performance (according to GPA score) after the end of two semesters (September

2015- January 2016- Fall semester, February- June 2016- Spring semester). In addition, the

participants will be part of this study on a volunteer basis and the research will be collected in

the fall semester of 2016-2017.

Materials and Procedure

In this research, a questionnaire which named is ‘Time Management Questionnaire

(TMQ)’ and developed by Britton and Tesser (1991) will be used to measure time

management skill of participant students. The time management questionnaire includes 18

items, each answer on a 5-point scale consisting of the responses always (5), frequently (4),

sometimes (3), infrequently (2) and never (1). The lowest possible score is 18 and the highest

score is 84. According to TMQ, the higher score will be indicated better time management

performance and the lowest score will be indicated poor time management performance.

The questionnaire will be made to the students and the researcher will be urged students

to take the task seriously and to be accurate in their responses to each question, and then

acquired results will be compared the GPA scores of the students. The expected result is there

is a positive correlation between time management performance and academic success. The

participants which have a high GPA score probably will have a high TMQ score. In the same

way, the participants which have a low GPA score will have a low TMQ score. In order to

measure the reliability and validity of this research and find answers to the possible problems,

some techniques such as standard deviation, mean, re-test, alternate forms reliability/parallel

forms of the same test, etc. can be used.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 7

References

Aduke, A. F. (2015). Time management and students’ academic performance in higher

institutions, Nigeria—a case study of Ekiti State. International Research in

Education, 3(2), 1-12.

Agarwal, A. (2008). Self-discipline for student-influences on time management. Retrieved

August 19, 2012, from http://www.ezinarticles.com

Britton, B. K. & Tesser, A. (1991). Effects of time management practices on college grades.

Journal of Educational Psychology, 83, 405-410.

Claessens, B. J. C., Van Eerde, W., Rutte, C. G., & Roe, R. A. (2007). A review of

the time management literature. Personnel Review, 36(2), 255-276.

Kayode, G. M., Ayodele J. B., (2015). Impacts of teachers’ time management on secondary

school students’ academic performance in Ekiti State, Nigeria, International

Journal of Secondary Education. Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 1-7.

doi:10.11648/j.ijsedu.20150301.11

Gall, M. D. (1988). Making the grade. Rocklin, CA: Prima.

Gerard, M. (2002). Negative influences of time management. Retrieved from

www.cskishore.Com/timetips52.asp
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 8

Indreica, E. S., Cazan, A. M., & Truţa C. (2011). Effects of learning styles and time

management on academic achievement. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,

30, 1096 -1102.

Longman, D. G., & Atkinson, R. H. (1988). College learning and study skills. St. Paul, MN:

West.

Macan, T. H., Shahani, C., Dipboye, R. L., & Phillips, A. P. (1990). College students’ time

management: Correlation with academic performance and stress. Journal of

Educational Psychology, 82(4), 760–768.

Walter, T., & Siebert, A. (1981). Student success. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.