A longitudinal analysis of the reciprocal relationship between academic procrastination, study satisfaction, and dropout intentions in higher education

Bullying behaviors and intention to drop-out among nursing students: the mediation roles of sense of belonging and major satisfaction

Bullying in academic settings has long-lasting implications on students' well-being and career prospects, particularly in fields like nursing that require a high level of interpersonal skills and emotional resilience. This study explored the relationships between experiences of bullying and intentions to drop out among Iranian nursing students, with major satisfaction and a sense of belonging serving as mediating factors. A cross-sectional research design was employed from April to June 2023. Undergraduate nursing students (n = 386) filled out a five-part questionnaire namely demographic and educational information, bullying behaviors in nursing education environments, the Belongingness scale, intention to drop out, and academic major satisfaction scale. The study confirmed that experiences of bullying positively correlated with intentions to drop out, negatively affected students' sense of belonging and major satisfaction, and established that course satisfaction and a sense of belonging acted as mediators between bullying and intentions to drop out. The findings show the urgent need for anti-bullying interventions targeting faculty behavior and educational strategies aimed at fostering a sense of belonging and course satisfaction among nursing students.

Parental emotional neglect and academic procrastination: the mediating role of future self-continuity and ego depletion

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of parental emotional neglect on the academic procrastination of late adolescents and further analyze the mediating role of future self-continuity and ego depletion. This study included 609 college students, 344 males and 265 females, ranging in age from 17 to 21 years (M = 18.39, SD = 0.82), who responded to four questionnaires measuring parental emotional neglect, academic procrastination, future self-continuity, and ego depletion, respectively. The results showed that future self-continuity and ego depletion mediated the association between parental emotional neglect and late adolescents' academic procrastination in a serial pattern. Perceived higher levels of parental emotional neglect correlated with lower future self-continuity and higher ego depletion in these late adolescents, leading to higher levels of academic procrastination.

La Influencia de la satisfacción, expectativas y percepción del rendimiento en el abandono universitario durante la pandemia

El abandono universitario es un área de investigación creciente debido a las diversas consecuencias negativas que puede acarrear. Se trata de un fenómeno complejo en el que intervienen múltiples variables, entre ellas factores emocionales-motivacionales. Algunas de estas variables, como la satisfacción con la educación superior y las expectativas de la titulación, son especialmente relevantes entre los estudiantes de primer curso, y más aún en un contexto de virtualidad forzada, como ha sido el caso de la crisis del COVID-19. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la relación entre las variables emocionales-motivacionales y la intención de abandono entre un grupo de estudiantes, así como evaluar la percepción de su rendimiento académico durante la pandemia. La muestra del estudio estuvo formada por 513 estudiantes de primer y segundo curso de diferentes titulaciones de Ciencias Sociales y Ciencias de la Salud de dos universidades públicas españolas. Se utilizó un cuestionario ad hoc para medir la intención de abandono y su relación con una serie de variables. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos y modelización en árbol de decisión. Los resultados revelan que las variables predictoras más significativas para explicar la intención de abandono son la satisfacción con la elección de la titulación, las expectativas y el aprendizaje de conocimientos relevantes para su futuro profesional. También se encontró que la percepción de los estudiantes de que su rendimiento académico había disminuido durante el COVID-19 era uno de los predictores del abandono. 

University students' profiles of burnout symptoms amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and their relation to concurrent study behavior and experiences

Burnout symptoms are prevalent among university students. This study examined students' understudied profiles of burnout symptoms and their relation to procrastination, dropout intentions, and study- and life satisfaction. We used cross-sectional data from two online-studies conducted in Germany in April 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic (N _study1 = 597, N _study2 = 857). Latent profile analyses indicated three profiles in both studies: (1) well-functioning, (2) moderately exhausted-inefficacious, and (3) burned-out. Most students belonged to Profiles 1 and 2 with low to moderate burnout symptoms. Students in Profile 3 reported the highest symptoms, most procrastination, strongest dropout intentions, and lowest study- and life satisfaction. The distinct profiles broaden knowledge about intra-individual differences in students' burnout experiences and underpin the need for tailored interventions.

Study satisfaction among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal development and personal-contextual predictors

The COVID-19 pandemic challenges the well-being and academic success of many students. Yet, little is known about students' study satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, a multilayered construct which accounts for students' subjective cognitive well-being and academic success. Besides, previous studies on study satisfaction are mostly cross-sectional and hardly consider the distinct subdimensions of this construct. Therefore, our main goal in this study was to shed light on the understudied development of the subdimensions of study satisfaction (i.e., satisfaction with study content, conditions of studying, and coping with study-related stress) in two semesters amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we examined how particular personal (i.e., gender, age, GPA, intrinsic motivation, motivational cost, and academic procrastination) and contextual (i.e., loneliness) factors are related to these subdimensions. We conducted two panel studies with convenience and purposeful samples of university students in Germany (N study1 = 837; N study2 = 719). Participants responded online to questions on each of the subdimensions of study satisfaction at the beginning, middle, and end of each semester but responded to measures of personal and contextual factors only at the beginning of each semester. In both studies, manifest growth curve models indicated a decrease in all subdimensions of study satisfaction as the semester progressed. Generally, gender (male) and intrinsic motivation were positive predictors but age (younger students), motivational cost, and loneliness were negative predictors of different subdimensions of study satisfaction - particularly satisfaction with study content. Overall, motivational costs and loneliness were the most consistent predictors of all subdimensions of study satisfaction across both studies. Our findings provide support for the understanding that study satisfaction could diminish in the face of challenging situations such as in this pandemic. The present study also highlights certain personal and contextual factors that relate to study satisfaction and calls for intensive research into the multidimensional construct of study satisfaction.

Procrastination Among University Students: Differentiating Severe Cases in Need of Support From Less Severe Cases

Procrastination refers to voluntarily postponing an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for this delay, and students are considered to be especially negatively affected. According to estimates in the literature, at least half of the students believe procrastination impacts their academic achievements and well-being. As of yet, evidence-based ideas on how to differentiate severe from less severe cases of procrastination in this population do not exist, but are important in order to identify those students in need of support. The current study recruited participants from different universities in Sweden to participate in an anonymous online survey investigating self-rated levels of procrastination, impulsivity, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life. Furthermore, diagnostic criteria for pathological delay (PDC) as well as self-report items and open-ended questions were used to determine the severity of their procrastination and its associated physical and psychological issues. In total, 732 participants completed the survey. A median-split on the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS) and the responses to the PDC were used to differentiate two groups; "less severe procrastination" (PPS ≤ 2.99; n = 344; 67.7% female; M age = 30.03; SD age = 9.35), and "severe procrastination" (PPS ≥ 3.00; n = 388; 66.2% female; M age = 27.76; SD age = 7.08). For participants in the severe group, 96-97% considered procrastination to a problem, compared to 42-48% in the less severe group. The two groups also differed with regard to considering seeking help for procrastination, 35-38% compared to 5-7%. Participants in the severe group also reported more problems of procrastination in different life domains, greater symptoms of psychological issues, and lower quality of life. A thematic analysis of the responses on what physical issues were related to procrastination revealed that these were characterized by stress and anxiety, e.g., tension, pain, and sleep and rest, while the psychological issues were related to stress and anxiety, but also depression, e.g., self-criticism, remorse, and self-esteem. The current study recommends the PPS to be used as an initial screening tool, while the PDC can more accurately determine the severity level of procrastination for a specific individual.