TLDR
This study created and tested a new survey to measure why students put off their schoolwork. The survey found three main reasons for procrastination and works well for students learning online or in person.
Summary
This content was automatically synthesized by Credo's AI models directly from the original source text.
AI summaries can make mistakes — double-check important details against the original source.
1 Study Aim
The main goal of this study is to examine the structure and reliability of the Multidimensional Academic Procrastination Scale (MAPS-15), a new tool designed to measure different aspects of academic procrastination (putting off schoolwork) in self-regulated learning environments. The authors also aim to confirm whether the scale works well for students in various learning settings and to test if it accurately captures the different reasons students delay their academic tasks. Simply put: The study wants to see if a new survey can reliably show why students delay doing their schoolwork.
2 Study Design
The researchers used a cross-validation approach, splitting 1,289 distance university students into two groups. One group was used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to find possible structures in the survey, and the other for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test these structures. The MAPS-15 was developed from existing questionnaires and new items, and students answered it online at two points in their first semester. The study also checked the scale's reliability, validity, and stability over time, and compared it to a time management questionnaire. Simply put: The researchers tested the new survey with a large group of online students to see if it measures procrastination reasons well and stays reliable over time.
3 Findings
The study reveals that the MAPS-15 survey has a clear three-part structure: core procrastination (trouble starting or continuing tasks), poor time management (difficulty organizing and controlling time), and work disconnection (lack of focus and persistence). The scale showed strong reliability, good validity, and stable results over three months. The three factors are closely related but each adds unique information about procrastination. The survey works for different types of students and learning environments, but future research should test it with more groups and over longer periods. The authors recommend using MAPS-15 to better understand and address academic procrastination in higher education. Simply put: The survey found three main reasons students put off work, and it can help teachers and counselors spot and help students who struggle with procrastination.