Abstract
Effective time management is associated with greater academic performance and lower levels of anxiety in students; however many students find it hard to find a balance between their studies and their day-to-day lives. This article examines the self-reported time management behaviors of undergraduate engineering students using the Time Management Behavior Scale. Correlation analysis, regression analysis, and model reduction are used to attempt to determine which aspects of time management the students practiced, which time management behaviors were more strongly associated with higher grades within the program, and whether or not those students who self-identified with specific time management behaviors achieved better grades in the program. It was found that students’ perceived control of time was the factor that correlated significantly with cumulative grade point average. On average, it was found that time management behaviors were not significantly different across gender, age, entry qualification, and time already spent in the program.
Highlights
A number of factors affect undergraduate student performance
The score in relation to participants understanding the TMM was less than 2.4 and the score in regard to their perceived control of time (PCOT) was somewhat greater than 2.5. This implies that, in general, students were more inclined to goal and priority setting and that they do have a preference for organization (PFO) but are less inclined to use actual time management techniques. Such a position may be the result of approaches to learning that have been developed over a period of time but Kelly (2002) found that effective time usage involves positive work habits and this would suggest that without effective learning strategies students are unlikely to develop effective time management practices
We provided a systematic approach that isolates the time management behaviors of undergraduate engineering students that impact their academic performance
Summary
A number of factors affect undergraduate student performance. Many of these factors may be perceived as being academic—related to the relevant skill sets that a student may have and how they access the educational offer. Nonacademic factors that impact students’ chances of attaining success in higher education are important and deserve investigation. One such nonacademic skill is time management. Good time management skills have been identified as having a “buffering” effect on stress (Misra & McKean, 2000) and are a key indication of higher performance and lower stress and anxiety in higher education (Kearns & Gardiner, 2007). Many students find it hard to regulate both their studies and their external lives (Van der Meer, Jansen, & Torenbeek, 2010) leading to time mismanagement, poor sleep patterns, and increased levels of stress (Hardy, 2003)
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