Interaction Effect of Gender on Academic Procrastination and Achievement Orientation among In-School Adolescents

Abstract

The study investigated the interaction effect gender on academic procrastination and achievement orientation among in-school adolescents. The study adopted a pretest posttest non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design with a population of 804 SS II students (518 female and 286 males). The sample size of 129 SS II students from Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State was drawn through purposive sampling technique. Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students (PASS) and Achievement Orientation Questionnaire (AOQ) were used for data collection. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the measures. Internal consistency reliability coefficients of 0.69 and 0.87 for PASS and AOQ were estimated through Cronbach alpha. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while ANCOVA and t-test were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. It was found that gender does not significantly have effect on in-school adolescents’ academic procrastination and achievement orientation. The researchers recommended that among others that the government at all levels should employ competent educational psychologists/psychotherapists and provide enabling environment and facilities for regular cognitive behavioural change programme for in-school adolescents who may be facing problems with academic procrastination. More so, government agencies and professional bodies whose responsibility is to design and revise curriculum for secondary schools should incorporate and emphasize the use of rational emotive behavioural therapy in secondary schools.