Attribution as a Predictor of Procrastination in Online Graduate Students.

Abstract

Online courses are growing at a tremendous rate, and although we have discovered a great deal about teaching and learning in the online environment, there is much left to learn. One variable that needs to be explored further is procrastination in online coursework. In this mixed methods study, quantitative methods were utilized to evaluate the influence of online graduate students' attributions for academic outcomes to ability, effort, context, and luck on their tendency to procrastinate. Additionally, qualitative methods were utilized to explore students' attributional beliefs about their tendency to procrastinate in their online coursework. Collectively, results indicated that ability, effort, context, and luck influenced procrastination in this sample of graduate students. A discussion of these findings, implications for instructors, and recommendations for future research ensues. Online course offerings and degree programs have recently increased at a rapid rate and have gained in popularity among students (Allen & Seaman, 2010, 2011). Garrett (2007) reported that half of prospective students surveyed about postsecondary programs expressed a preference for online and hybrid programs, typically because of the flexibility and convenience (Daymont, Blau, & Campbell, 2011). Advances in learning management systems such as Blackboard have facilitated the dramatic increase in asynchronous programs. Although the research literature concerning online learning has blossomed over the past decade, much is left to learn about important variables that impact student learning and achievement. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to better understand the relationship between online graduate students' attributional beliefs and their tendency to procrastinate. The approach to this objective was twofold. First, quantitative methods were utilized to evaluate the influence of students' attributions for academic outcomes to ability, effort, context, and luck on their tendency to procrastinate. Second, qualitative methods were utilized to explore students' attributional beliefs about their tendency to procrastinate in their online coursework.