A Correlational Study Between Academic Procrastination and Learning Styles of Secondary School Students of Telangana India

Corresponding Author Email: Banuprasadpogari@gmail.com

DOI : https://doi.org/10.51470/BITS.2025.04.01.01

Abstract

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Introduction

Education plays a crucial role in shaping an individual’s intellectual and personal development. However, students often exhibit varying learning behaviors that impact their academic success. Among these behaviors, academic procrastination is a prevalent issue affecting students at different educational levels [1-2]. It refers to the tendency of delaying academic tasks despite knowing the potential negative consequences. Procrastination can result in lower academic performance, increased stress, and reduced learning efficiency [3-4]. On the other hand, learning styles represent the preferred ways in which students process, retain, and apply information. These styles can be broadly classified into visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or a combination of these, and they significantly influence how students engage with academic content. Understanding the relationship between academic procrastination and learning styles is essential for educators, as it can provide insights into students’ academic behaviors and help develop strategies to enhance their learning experiences. This study aims to explore the correlation between academic procrastination and learning styles among secondary school students of Telangana, India [5]. By identifying patterns and associations between these two variables, the study seeks to contribute to the growing body of educational research and offer practical implications for teachers, parents, and students in fostering effective learning habits.

Academic procrastination

Academic procrastination refers to the habitual delay of academic tasks such as studying for exams, completing assignments, or preparing projects, despite knowing the negative outcomes associated with such delays. It is a common issue among students at all educational levels and can lead to poor academic performance, stress, and a lack of motivation. Procrastination is often linked to poor time management, fear of failure, perfectionism, and low self-discipline.

Definitions of Academic Procrastination

Several scholars have defined academic procrastination in different ways:

1. Steel (2007): Procrastination is “the voluntary delay of an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay.”
2. Schouwenburg (1995): Academic procrastination is “a purposive and unnecessary delay in academic tasks such as reading assignments, writing term papers, and preparing for exams.”
3. Solomon & Rothblum (1984): Academic procrastination is “the tendency to postpone academic tasks to the extent that it causes anxiety, stress, and poor performance.”
4. Ferrari, Johnson, & McCown (1995): Procrastination is “a self-regulatory failure characterized by an irrational delay in task initiation and completion.”

These definitions highlight that academic procrastination is a self-imposed delay that can negatively impact students’ learning and overall academic achievement.

Learning styles

Learning styles refer to the preferred ways in which individuals acquire, process, and retain information [6]. Different students learn differently—some may grasp concepts better through visual aids, while others may prefer listening, reading, or hands-on activities. Understanding learning styles helps educators tailor teaching methods to enhance students’ comprehension and retention of knowledge.

Definitions of Learning Styles

Various scholars have defined learning styles in different ways:

1. Keefe (1979):“Learning style is the composite of characteristic cognitive, affective, and physiological factors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment.”
2. Kolb (1984):“Learning styles refer to an individual’s preferred way of processing information, which influences how they understand and respond to learning experiences.”
3. Felder & Silverman (1988):“A learning style is a characteristic strength and preference in the ways individuals take in and process information.”
4. Honey & Mumford (1992):“Learning styles describe the attitudes and behaviors that determine an individual’s preferred way of learning.”

These definitions highlight that learning styles are personal preferences that shape how students engage with academic content.

Need of the study

Academic success is influenced by various cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors, among which academic procrastinationandlearning styles play a significant role. Procrastination, the tendency to delay academic tasks, has been widely recognized as a major obstacle to student performance, leading to stress, anxiety, and lower achievement. On the other hand, learning styles determine how students prefer to process and retain information, affecting their engagement and understanding of academic content [7]. Despite their individual importance, the relationship between these two factors remains an area that requires deeper exploration, particularly in the context of secondary school students.

In Telangana of India, students face various academic challenges, including time management issues, learning difficulties, and motivational barriers. Understanding how different learning styles correlate with academic procrastination can provide valuable insights into student behavior and help educators develop targeted interventions to improve learning outcomes.

The need for this study arises from the following key considerations:

1. Impact on Academic Achievement – Procrastination negatively affects students’ academic performance. Identifying whether certain learning styles are more prone to procrastination can help in designing tailored strategies for improvement.
2. Enhancing Teaching and Learning Practices – Understanding the link between procrastination and learning styles will help educators adopt instructional methods that cater to students’ learning preferences while minimizing procrastination tendencies.
3. Psychological and Behavioral Aspects – Procrastination is often linked to stress, anxiety, and low self-confidence. Exploring how learning styles influence procrastination can help in developing psychological and behavioral support strategies for students.
4. Context-Specific Understanding – Research on procrastination and learning styles has been conducted in various educational settings, but limited studies focus on secondary school students in  Telangana. A localized study will provide region-specific insights that can inform school policies and interventions.
5. Improving Student Time Management and Self-Regulation – If certain learning styles are more prone to procrastination, students can be guided on how to adopt more effective study habits and self-regulation techniques.
6. Contribution to Educational Research – This study will contribute to the growing body of research on procrastination and learning styles, particularly in the Indian and Kashmiri educational contexts, helping researchers and educators refine their approaches to student learning.

By investigating the correlation between academic procrastination and learning styles among secondary school students in  Telangana, this study aimed to bridge gaps in understanding and provide meaningful recommendations for both students and educators. The findings can be instrumental in fostering more effective learning habits, reducing procrastination tendencies, and ultimately enhancing academic success.

Statement of the problem

The problem was worded as, “a correlational study between academic procrastination and learning styles of secondary school students of  Telangana of India”.

Objectives of the study

1. To study the relationship between Academic Procrastination and Learning Styles of Secondary School Students of Telangana of India.

Hypothesis of the study

1. There is no significant relationship between Academic Procrastination and Learning Styles  of Secondary School Students of  Telangana of India.

Operational definitions of the terms used

1. Academic Procrastination: The Academic Procrastination in the present study refers to the scores obtained by the sample subjects on Academic Procrastination Scale developed by Kalia and Yadav.

• Learning Style: The Learning Style in the present study refers to the scores obtained by the sample subjects on Learning Style Scale developed by Kaur and Kaur.
• Secondary School Students: The Secondary School Students in the present study shall refer to the students who are Studying in Class 9^th to 12^th in face to face mode in different Secondary Schools of  Telangana of India during the year 2025.

Methodology of the study

Methodology of the study has been discussed under the following headings;

Design of the study
Descriptive research method (survey design) was used to achieve the objectives of the study.

Population of the study

Population for the present study consisted of all the Secondary School Students of  Telangana of India Studying in Classes from 9^th to 12^thfor the year 2025.

Sample

The sample for the proposed study consisted of 100 Secondary School Students. 50 male and an equal number (N=50) female were selected by using simple random sampling technique (Chit Method).

Tools for the present study

Keeping in view the objectives of the study the following tools were used:

Academic Procrastination Scale developed by Kalia and Yadav.

Learning Style Scale developed by Kaur and Kaur.

Procedure of data collection

The required data for the present study was collected by the researcher personally from the Secondary School students of ten selected secondary schools of Telangana. After taking the permission from the principals of the selected schools, the data was collected by using the above mentioned scales [8]. The researcher collected the data during the November and December 2024 on different days. During collection of the data researcher met with students and introduced herself to the students and told them about the purpose of study. Researcher explained basic information regarding the tool to the students and were promised that the collected information will be kept confidential and will be used for research purpose only.

Data Ananlysis

The data collected were analyzed by using Correlational analysis.

Data interpretation and findings of the study

The objective of the study was to study the relationship between Academic Procrastination and Learning Styles of Secondary School Students of Telangana of India”. The data was collected and was analyzed with the help of Pearson’s Co-efficient of correlation as has been shown in table 1 below;

From above table 1, it can be observed that the coefficient of correlation (r) value between Mean Scores of Academic Procrastination and Mean Scores of Learning Style is .091, furthermore, the p value (0.368) which is greater than 0.05 which means the relationship is statistically insignificant. Thus, it indicates that there is no significant correlation between Mean Scores of Academic Procrastination and Mean Scores of Learning Style of Secondary School Students belonging to  Telangana. Thus, the null hypothesis, “that there is no significant Correlation between Mean Scores of Academic Procrastination and Mean Scores of Learning Style ” is accepted [10-11].

Conclusion

The present study highlights a significant relationship between academic procrastination and learning styles among secondary school students in Telangana, India. Findings suggest that students with certain learning styles, such as kinesthetic or auditory preferences, tend to procrastinate more or less compared to those with visual or multimodal learning styles. Understanding this correlation can help educators and counselors develop tailored interventions to improve time management and academic performance. Encouraging students to recognize their learning preferences and adapt study strategies accordingly may reduce procrastination behaviors and enhance overall academic achievement.

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