Academic procrastination and the performance of graduate-level cooperative groups in research methods courses
This study examined the extent to which academic procrastination predicted the performance of cooperative groups in graduate-level research methods courses. A total of 28 groups was examined (n = 83 students), ranging in size from 2 to 5 (M = 2.96, SD = 1.10). Multiple regression analyses revealed that neither within-group mean nor within-group variability pertaining to levels of procrastination predicted the group product (i.e., quality of article critique). However, cooperative groups that attained the highest levels of procrastination due to task aversiveness, on average, tended to be those with the lowest levels of performance on the group product. Groups with the lowest levels of achievement tended to be those containing students who reported procrastinating most frequently on performing administrative tasks (26.4% of the variance explained), keeping up with weekly reading assignments (8.8% of the variance explained), and writing term papers (11.8% of the variance explained). These three procrastination variables together explained 46.9% of the variance in performance. This finding suggests that level of academic procrastination appears to play an important role among graduate students with respect to the performance of cooperative learning groups. The goal of the present inquiry was to contribute to a program of research assessing the role of group dynamics on academic performance of graduate students by examining the potential relationships between personality variables and students' achievement levels in graduate methods courses. Our selection of academic procrastination as the personality variable of interest was based upon the findings of a previous study in which a link was found to exist between academic procrastination and achievement in the context of cooperative groups at the graduate level, with some groups displaying higher levels of procrastination than other groups (Onwuegbuzie and DaRos-Voseles, 2001). However, Onwuegbuzie and DaRos-Voseles' qualitative inquiry did not investigate directly whether procrastination predicted group outcomes. Subsequently, the purpose of the present investigation was to increase our understanding of the role of group dynamics on academic performance by examining the extent to which academic procrastination ð ð ð ð ð ð ð ð ð