Attributions for Procrastination Among Online Teacher Education Graduate Students
Abstract: Causal attributions for academic failure are an important aspect of achievement motivation. One common failure in self-regulation among students is procrastination. An exploratory investigation of causal attributions for procrastination among teacher educators enrolled in an online graduate program was conducted. Participants were masters students enrolled in a teacher education program. Subjects were asked to describe their reasons for procrastination in their online courses. Forty-nine students provided responses to the open-ended question. Responses were analyzed for content and summarized. Responses revealed that three-fourths of the students attributed their procrastination behavior to external causes. Findings are discussed as they relate to reducing students’ tendency to procrastinate in the future. Suggestions for intervention are presented.