Role of Behavioral Factors in Shaping Academic Procrastination and Mathematics Achievement

Abstract

Academic procrastination in mathematics is a common phenomenon among students, characterized by a persistent tendency to postpone important educational tasks that are assigned to them. This intentional delay of academic responsibilities obstructs their capacity to understanding fundamental mathematical concepts and contributes to increased stress, reduced self-efficacy, and ultimately, a decline in overall academic performance. This study investigates the role of students’ behavior-related factors such as sincerity and personal initiative in shaping academic performance. A cross-sectional survey research design was used among 474 secondary school students. The multi-stage cluster sampling technique was employed to select the sample. The data were analyzed by using one-sample t-tests, ANOVA, and linear regressions. The finding reveals that the reason for sincerity and personal initiative related to procrastination was significantly high. Additionally, the regression analysis shows that the students’ study hours at home, sincerity, ethnicity, and parents’ education are significant predictors of mathematics achievement scores since the role of sincerity has a negative effect on achievement scores, as the concerned stakeholders should collaborate synergistically to address the learners’ sincerity for promoting mathematics learning.