"It's my closest friend and my most hated enemy": Students Share Perspectives on Procrastination in Writing Classes

Authors

Jennifer Gray, College of Coastal GeorgiaFollow

Abstract

This article presents the results from an IRB-approved study that researched student perspectives on procrastination. Qualitative and quantitative data from over 200 surveys administered to first-year writers illustrated multiple reasons why students procrastinated, and these reasons are much deeper than a strong desire to do something else. Results indicated that when students perceived a lack of engagement with their topic (whether the engagement was actually there or not), they were more likely to procrastinate. In addition, students who had fewer choices in their writing assignments, such as topic choices or format choices, were more likely to procrastinate and avoid the work. The article concludes with student-based solutions for procrastination in writing courses. These student-based contributions to the conversations about procrastination can help writing teachers re-think actively engaging students as writers and involving them in the writing process.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Gray, Jennifer (2017) ""It's my closest friend and my most hated enemy": Students Share Perspectives on Procrastination in Writing Classes," The Journal of Student Success in Writing: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/jssw/vol1/iss1/4