Brief Report: Procrastination Among Students

Mariazeta, David Alec

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM)

Abstract

Objectives To provide an understanding regarding procrastination among students. Methods

The researchers included 118 participants from ABM Strand of PLM-Senior High School who

answered the research questionnaire. Results Roughly 30% of the respondents define

procrastination as a mere postponement of action; 85% of the respondents have a minor case of

procrastination; 42% of the sample procrastinate in the area of school works. Also, 34% of them

also procrastinates in the region of household chores; lack of interest obtained the highest

proportion of why students procrastinate while the desire to rest closely follows. Conclusions

student procrastinators define their procrastination as postponement of action; students has a

minor case of procrastination; procrastination among students happens mostly on school works

and household chores; procrastination occurs mostly due to monotony, desire to rest, and

presence of social media and other functions of internet; and avoidance of procrastination can be

induced by having another person which will express a strict control over time-management.

Procrastination among students has been worsening as time passes by. Without it being

viewed as a potentially substantial problem, this hitch can grow from a personal predicament to a

wide-scale societal dilemma. Therefore, it is essential that we have an understanding about it so

we can help preventing it from developing into a widespread issue.

 According to wikipedia.org, procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task that needs

to be accomplished. It is the practice of doing more pleasurable things in place of less

pleasurable ones, or carrying out less urgent tasks instead of more urgent ones, thus putting off

impending tasks to a later time ("n.d.").

This bad practice is usually done by students who spend most of their time using social

media networks, watching movies, or doing other things with no account instead of finishing

their required school outputs and other errands. They delay to do tasks thinking that they can

work on it some other tine. Once the deadline is nearly approaching, it will only be the time

when they will start doing it leaving a hurried and low-quality product. In school, poor output

which in return receives low grade.

As introduced above, the quandary of procrastination continues to aggravate especially

amidst students. This situation can be associated with the rising of technology which gives the

students an option to just pleasure over the Internet thus postponing in doing tasks that need to be

finished. Also, the convenience brought about by the emerging technology develops indolence

among students as school works require less efforts. Add to it the choice of students to just steal

accessible finished works online that can be acquired with just performing a basic 'copy and

paste.'
 In a medical perspective, procrastination can interfere with a person's normal

functioning. When this happens, procrastination has been found to result in health problems,

stress, anxiety, sense of guilt and crisis, as well as loss of personal productivity and social

disapproval for not meeting responsibilities or commitments. Together, these feelings may

promote further procrastination and for some individuals, procrastination gets almost chronic.

Such procrastinators may have difficulties seeking support due to procrastination itself, but also

social stigma and the belief that task-aversion is caused by laziness, lack of willpower or low

ambition. But in some cases, problematic procrastination may have an underlying cause

(Procrastination, "n.d.").

In a nutshell, procrastination is a form of poor time-management that is being committed

upon deferring duties that need to be executed to do tasks that are less significant or for

amusement. It is a worsening issue that involves the society especially the students. Furthermore,

an understanding of the matter is needed to help stop its intensification.

Method

The researcher conducted a survey among the ABM strand of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng

Maynila. A cluster sampling was done to ensure the variability of the sample students. In the

process, the researchers randomly drawn four sections four sections from the eight section of the

chosen strand and subsequently included all of the students in those sections. They were given

research questionnaire for them to answer. And, the researchers guided them all throughout the
process. After that, the researchers assured the participants about the confidentiality of the

informations that they have shared and as well as their identity.

Participants

Students of four sections from eight sections of ABM strand of PLM-Senior High school were

asked to participate in the survey.

Measures

Research Questionnaire - composed of four parts designated to assess students' perception and

case of procrastination. It includes (1) assessment of how students define procrastination (2)

measurement of the severity of procrastination among students (3) determination of areas of

procrastination, and (4) estimation of the causes of procrastination among them.

Results

From the 118 respondents, (1) 30% define their procrastination as an act of delaying something,

(2) 85% have a manageable case of procrastination, (3) 42% of them procrastinate on school

works, and (4) lack of interest plays the biggest reason of why students procrastinate.

Discussion
30% of the respondents define procrastination as an act of delaying something which is the

largest proportion. Hence, it is right to say that most student procrastinators define

procrastination as a mere postponement of action only.

Moreover, it can be clearly seen from the proportions that students delay sporadically because

the division “sometimes” garnered the highest percentage while “seldom” and “never” too got

high amounts respectively. On the other hand, the “often” and “always obtained low percentages.

Therefore, the researchers can deduce that the severity of procrastination among students is still

manageable since most of them only procrastinate occasionally and only a little proportion has a

severe type of procrastination.

Additionally, the area of school works gathered the highest percentage. It is expected since the

subjects of the research are students and they spend most of their time in school and for school.

Close to it is the area of household chores which garnered a percentage of 34.03. From the

following data, the researchers can conclude that most student procrastinators cram school-

related activities and household requirements. However, the researchers included in their

questionnaire a short space for the respondents to briefly state why they do not procrastinate in a

region they left unfilled. A considerable amount of information written there indicates that they

do not cram in a specific region because it is strictly managed by another person. Mostly, their

parents or persons who have a higher order. For this case, the researchers concluded that

avoidance or procrastination can be induced through the interference of another person which

will express a strict control over time-management.

Lack of interest collected the largest proportion among the reasons why students procrastinate.

This cause signals that most students tend to delay things that do not fall under their enthusiasm

and choose to prioritize things that they are interested with. Also, a big proportion of students

reasoned unwinding for their deferment. This reason may communicate that students nowadays

are getting lazy but it may also convey that schools put so much works upon them that is why

they are taking every opportunity to rest. Furthermore, a big percentage as well goes to the cause

“presence of social media and other functions of Internet.” The downside of the rise of

technology is being shown in this instance as the students rely too much on the ease of internet

and trigger them to delay things. Perhaps, Internet gives them so much convenience that they

forget that it takes the concept of hard work and giving time for every output

Acknowledgement

The researchers would like to thank Prof. Anilyn M. Falcatan who provided expertise
through expressions of insights and comments that had been a big factor to the improvement of
the study.

We thank Marc Joseph Fetalco, Rolex Marquez, and Alianah Joy Cruz for their moral
support and for sharing their wisdom that really helped us to finish the paper.

Lastly, the biggest gratitude goes to our almighty Lord God for making this possible.
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