Does Procrastination Dave a Cultural or a Neurological Source?: Evidence of Its Mediating Role in the Relationship between Psychological Capital and Academic Adjustment

Abstract

The study examines the relations between psychological capital (PsyCap), academic adjustment, and tendency toward procrastination in three groups of students in higher education: an ethnocultural minority group (Israeli Arabs), a neurotypical ethnocultural majority group (Israeli Jews), and an ethnocultural majority group diagnosed with learning disabilities (Israeli Jews with learning disabilities). The goal was to deepen and expand our understanding of the factors that affect academic adjustment. Four hundred and forty-nine post-secondary students enrolled in various academic institutions in Israel participated in the study. The data were collected using an online Qualtrics questionnaire. First, it was hypothesized a positive relationship between PsyCap and academic adjustment and a negative relationship between those two variables and academic procrastination. This hypothesis was fully corroborated. Second, it was hypothesized that students from an ethnic minority group and majority students with a diagnosed neurological disability would present lower levels of PsyCap and academic adjustment and higher levels of academic procrastination than a majority neurotypical group. The hypothesis was only partially confirmed. Third, it was hypothesized that the higher the PsyCap, the lower the degree of academic procrastination and, in turn, the higher the academic adjustment. The hypothesis was confirmed. The findings can help support the design of academic assistance programs to improve the integration into higher learning of students who belong to special groups.

Presenters

Batel Hazan Liran
Head of Field Studies Unit, Faculty of Education, Tel-Hai Academic College, Israel

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Learning in Higher Education

KEYWORDS

LD/ADHD post-secondary students; Ethnic identity, PsyCap; Academic Adjustment, Academic Procrastination