Exploring the association of perceived teacher autonomy support with academic procrastination in applied statistics courses

Procrastination in university students taking applied statistics courses is a critical challenge that can hinder success and future academic and career development. Despite its possible impact, there has been limited research on what is associated with procrastination in these courses. In this study, I explored how the support students feel from their teachers regarding autonomy in learning (referred to as perceived teacher autonomy support) is associated with procrastination. I also looked at how this association might be influenced by students’ beliefs in their abilities and their emotional experiences in these courses.

I collected data from 364 university students through surveys and used different statistical analyses to explore my research questions. Surprisingly, I found that perceived teacher autonomy support was not directly associated with procrastination. Instead, it was associated with students’ increased confidence in their abilities and decreased experience of negative feelings, including shame and boredom. These changes in confidence and emotions, in turn, were associated with a reduced tendency to procrastinate.

This study provides evidence for a deeper understanding of how perceived teacher autonomy support is associated with procrastination in applied statistics courses, involving both motivational and emotional factors. The findings may help instructors in these courses develop strategies to reduce student tendency to procrastinate, thereby promoting students’ future development.