A Correlational Study Between Academic Procrastination andLearning Styles of Secondary School Students of District Kulgam of Jammu and Kashmir

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.On the other hand, learning styles represent the preferred ways in which student’s 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 [3-4].The current study aimed to explore the correlation between academic procrastination and learning styles among secondary school students of District Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir. 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 [5-6].

Need of the study

Academic success is influenced by various cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors, among which academic procrastination and learning 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 [7-8]. 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 the District Kulgam of Jammu and Kashmir, 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 District Kulgam. 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.

The correlation between academic procrastination and learning styles among secondary school students in District Kulgam, this study aimed to bridge gaps in understanding and provides meaningful recommendations for both students and educators [9-10]. The findings can be instrumental in fostering more effective learning habits, reducing procrastination tendencies, and ultimately enhancing academic success.

The present study, titled A Correlational Study Between Academic Procrastination and Learning Styles of Secondary School Students of District Kulgam of Jammu and Kashmir, was designed to examine the patterns of procrastination and learning preferences among adolescents in this region. Specifically, the study aimed to assess the level of academic procrastination among male and female students, explore the relationship between procrastination and different learning styles, and determine whether significant gender-based differences exist in mean scores of both academic procrastination and learning styles [11-12]. Through these objectives, the research sought to provide a clearer understanding of how learning behaviors and procrastination tendencies interact and whether gender plays a defining role in shaping these factors among secondary school students in Kulgam.

Hypotheses of the Study

The study was guided by the following hypotheses: first, that there would be no significant relationship between academic procrastination and learning styles among secondary school students of District Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir; second, that no significant difference would exist in the mean scores of academic procrastinations between male and female students; and third, that no significant difference would be found in the mean scores of learning styles between male and female students.

Operational definitions of the terms used
In the present study, academic procrastination refers to the scores obtained by the sample subjects on the Academic Procrastination Scale developed by Kalia and Yadav, while learning style refers to the scores obtained by the sample subjects on the Learning Style Scale developed by Kaur and Kaur. The term secondary school students refers to students studying in classes 9th to 12th in face-to-face mode in various secondary schools of district Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, during the year 2024

Delimitations of the Study
The present study was delimited to secondary schools situated in District Kulgam and was restricted to a sample of 100 secondary school students only.

Methodology of the study

The present study employed a detailed and systematic procedure to achieve its objectives, as outlined below:

Design of the Study
A descriptive research method, specifically the survey design, was adopted for the study to accomplish the stated objectives.

Population of the Study
The population comprised all secondary school students of District Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, who were enrolled in classes 9th to 12th during the academic year 2024.

Sample
The sample consisted of 100 secondary school students, including 50 male and 50 female students, selected through a simple random sampling technique (chit method). The sample was drawn from 10 schools, which were chosen through convenience sampling. The distribution of the sample across schools is presented in the table below.

Tools for the present study
In accordance with the objectives of the study, the following standardized tools were employed:

1. Academic Procrastination Scale developed by Kalia and Yadav.
2. Learning Style Scale developed by Kaur and Kaur.

Description of the Tools
The tools used in the present investigation were standardized instruments. The Academic Procrastination Scale developed by Kalia and Yadav comprises 25 items in total. The scoring pattern of this scale is as follows in the table. The Learning Style Scale developed by Kaur and Kaur was also administered to assess the learning styles of the selected sample.

The Learning Style Scale consists of 92 items in total. The scoring pattern of the scale is;

Procedure of data collection
The data for the present study was personally collected by the researcher from secondary school students of 10 selected schools in District Kulgam. Prior permission was obtained from the principals of the respective schools before administering the tools. Data collection was carried out during the months of March, April, and May 2024 on different days. At the time of administration, the researcher introduced herself to the students, explained the objectives of the study, and provided necessary instructions regarding the tools [13-14]. The students were assured that their responses would be kept strictly confidential and used solely for research purposes.

Data analysis
The data collected for the present study were analyzed using percentages, the t-test, and correlational analysis.

Data analysis, interpretation, and findings of the study

First Objective of the Study
The first objective of the study was “to examine the level of academic procrastination among male and female secondary school students of District Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir.” The data pertaining to this objective were analyzed using percentage analysis, and the results are presented in Table 1.1 below.

From Table 1.1, it is evident that among male secondary school students of District Kulgam, 22 students exhibited high academic procrastination, 26 students exhibited moderate academic procrastination, and only 2 students exhibited low academic procrastination. In comparison, among female secondary school students, 19 students exhibited high academic procrastination, 25 students exhibited moderate academic procrastination, and 6 students exhibited low academic procrastination.

Second Objective of the Study
The second objective of the study was “to examine the relationship between academic procrastination and learning styles of secondary school students of District Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir.” The data related to this objective were analyzed using Pearson’s coefficient of correlation, and the results are presented in Table 1.2 below.

From Table 1.2, it can be observed that the coefficient of correlation (r) between the mean scores of academic procrastinations and learning style is 0.091. The corresponding p-value (0.368) is greater than 0.05, indicating that the relationship is statistically insignificant. This suggests that there is no significant correlation between academic procrastination and learning style among secondary school students of District Kulgam [15-16]. Hence, the null hypothesis stating that “there is no significant correlation between mean scores of academic procrastinations and mean scores of learning style” is accepted.

Third Objective of the Study
The third objective of the study was “to examine the differences in mean scores of academic procrastinations among secondary school students of District Kulgam with respect to their gender.” The data pertaining to this objective were analyzed using the t-test, and the results are presented in Table 1.3 below.

From Table 1.3, it is evident that the calculated t-value is 0.771 with degrees of freedom (df) = 98, and the two-tailed significance value is 0.442, which is greater than the 0.05 level of significance. Hence, the result is not statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Therefore, the null hypothesis stating that “there is no significant difference in the mean scores of academic procrastination of secondary school students of District Kulgam with respect to their gender” is accepted. It may thus be concluded that the mean scores of academic procrastination among secondary school students of District Kulgam are independent of gender.

Fourth Objective of the Study
The fourth objective of the study was “to examine the differences in mean scores of learning style among secondary school students of District Kulgam with respect to their gender.” The data pertaining to this objective were analyzed using the t-test, and the results are presented in Table 1.4 below.

From Table 1.4, it is evident that the calculated t-value is 1.061 with degrees of freedom (df) = 98, and the two-tailed significance value is 0.291, which is greater than the 0.05 level of significance. Hence, the result is not statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Therefore, the null hypothesis stating that “there is no significant difference in the mean scores of learning style of secondary school students of District Kulgam with respect to their gender” is accepted. It may thus be concluded that the mean scores of learning style among secondary school students of District Kulgam are independent of gender.

References

• Ariely, D., & Wertenbroch, K. (2002). Procrastination, deadlines, and performance: Self-control by precommitment. Psychological Science.
• Baumeister, R. F., Heatherton, T. F., & Tice, D. M. (1994). Losing control: How    and whypeople fail at self-regulation. Academic Press.
• Chi, M. T. H., Kang, S., & Yaghmourian, D. L. (2017). Why students learn more   from dialogue- than monologue-videos: Analyses of peer interactions. Journal of the LearningSciences, 26(1), 10-50.
• Chu, A. H. C., & Choi, J. N. (2005). Rethinking procrastination: Positive effects of ‘active’procrastination behavior on attitudes and performance. The Journal of SocialPsychology, 145(3), 245-264.
• Cuevas, J. (2015). Is learning styles-based instruction effective? A comprehensive analysis of recent research on learning styles. Theory and Research inEducation,13(3), 308-333.
• Demir, S., Sarı, S., & Tuncay, M. (2014). The impact of social media on      procrastination in  students. Educational Technology & Society, 17(1), 234-245.
• Deslauriers, L., McCarty, L. S., Miller, K., Callaghan, K., & Kestin, G. (2019). Measuringactual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being           actively engaged inthe classroom. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(39), 19251-19257.
• Ferrari, J. R., & Olivette, M. J. (1994). Parental authority influences on academic procrastination. Journal of Experimental Education, 62(3), 212–218.
• Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., &Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy         ofSciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.
• Howell, A. J., Watson, D. C., Powell, R. A., & Buro, K. (2006). Academic            procrastination: The pattern and correlates of behavioral postponement.        Personalityand Individual Differences.
• Klassen, R. M., Krawchuk, L. L., & Rajani, S. (2008). Academic procrastination of             undergraduates: Low self-efficacy to self-regulate predicts higher levels of             procrastination. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33(4), 915–931.
• Klingsieck, K. B. (2013). Procrastination: When good things don’t come to those who wait.European Psychologist, 18(1), 24-34.
• Mohd Arif Hussain Bhat, Iqra Hafeez, Firdose Ahmad Mir and Bilal Ahmad Shah (2025).Attitude Towards Internet and Social Networking Sites of Higher Secondary SchoolStudents of District Anantnag of Jammu and Kashmir. Journal of Business, IT, and SocialScience. DOI:https://doi.org/10.51470/BITS.2025.04.01.19
• Nidu Jan, Iqra Hafeez, Suheel Ahmad Bhat, Bilal Ahmad Shah, Firdose Ahmad Mir, & MohdArif Hussain Bhat. (2024). Examining the Elementary School Teachers’ AttitudeTowards Inclusive Education: A Study of District Anantnag. International Journal for Social Studies, 10(11), 17-31.
• Showkat Iqbal, Iqra Hafeez, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Suheel Ahmad Bhat, Mohd Arif Hussain Bhat (2024). Teaching Aptitude; A Study on College going Students of District Anantnag ofJammu and Kashmir, India. Journal of Business, IT, and Social Science. 03 to 09. DOI:https://doi.org/10.51470/BITS.2024.03.01.03
• Uzma Jan, Iqra Hafeez, Suheel Ahmad Bhat, Bilal Ahmad Shah, Firdose Ahmad Mir, IlyasAhmad Rather, Bilal Ahmad Kukroo, Mohd Arif Hussain Bhat (2024). Assessment ofMental Health Among Higher Secondary School Students in District Kulgam, Jammuand Kashmir, India. Journal of Business, IT, and Social Science. 12 to 19. DOI:https://doi.org/10.51470/BITS.2024.03.02.12