Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

2 َAssociate Professor of TEFL, Department of English, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

3 Associate Professor of TEFL, Department of English, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Many individuals fail to perform the responsibilities devolved to them within the expected time or at least do them near the deadline. The so-called procrastination in accomplishment of academic tasks has often been considered a frustrating phenomenon which commonly results in undesirable outcomes. However, some students believe that near-deadline performance leads to better results. Focusing on EFL learners, the researchers in this study followed the classical Grounded Theory Approach and investigated whether procrastination always has destructive effects on their performance and behavior or it can be applied as a strategy to gain better outcomes. To do so, they interviewed 43 EFL learners at intermediate and advanced levels of proficiency with prior experience of procrastination and, taking a constant comparative method, analyzed the collected data through three stages of coding (i.e., open, selective, and theoretical). The results indicated that although most respondents did not reject the destructive consequences of procrastination on their language learning, several EFL learners pointed to constructive consequences of procrastination in their learning. Moreover, some strategies for adjusting the destructive effects of procrastination and even for transforming them to constructive consequences emerged from the data. In this way, the present study led to the development of the grounded theory of language learning procrastination. This theory covered two themes of Consequences, including Constructive Language Learning Procrastination and Destructive Language Learning Procrastination, and Overcoming Strategies, including Internal and External Strategies. The resultant theory can open a new horizon to deal with EFL learners’ dilatory behaviors.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Article Title [Persian]

تعلل در فرآیند زبان آموزی: راهکاری سازنده یا فقط زمان سوزی مخرب؟

Authors [Persian]

  • صابر خوئی اسکوئی 1
  • دکتر سعیده آهنگری 2
  • دکتر زهره سیفوری 3

1 دانشجوی دکتری آموزش زبان انگلیسی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی،‌ تبریز، ایران

2 دانشیار گروه زبان انگلیسی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد تبریز،‌ تبریز، ایران

3 دانشیار گروه زبان انگلیسی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد تبریز،‌ تبریز، ایران

Abstract [Persian]

افراد بسیاری قادر نیستند مسئولیتهایی که برعهده آنها گذاشته شده را در موعد مقرر انجام دهند یا حداقل آن را در لحظه‌ی آخر فرجه تعیین شده انجام می دهند. آنچه اصطلاحاً تعلل نامیده می‌شود، در انجام فعالیت‌های آکادمیک معمولا پدیده‌ای ناامید کننده محسوب می‌شود که اکثرا منجر به نتایج ناخوشایندی می‌گردد. با وجود این، برخی از دانشجویان معتقدند که انجام فعالیت‌ها در آستانه‌ی اتمام فرجه، نتایج بهتری را در بر دارد. محققان در مطالعه‌ی حاضر با تمرکز بر زبان آموزان انگلیسی و استفاده از روش تئوری داده بنیاد کلاسیک به بررسی این مساله پرداختند که آیا تعلل همیشه تاثیر مخربی بر عملکرد و رفتار زبان آموزان دارد یا اینکه می‌تواند به عنوان راهکاری برای کسب نتایج بهتر استفاده گردد. برای انجام این کار، آنها با 43 زبان آموز در سطوح متوسط تا پیشرفته و دارای سابقه‌ی تعلل مصاحبه کرده و با استفاده از روش مقایسه‌ی مداوم، اطلاعات جمع‌آوری شده را طی سه مرحله کدگذاری (باز، انتخابی و تئوریک) تحلیل نمودند. نتایج نشانگر این بود که اگرچه اکثر مصاحبه شوندگان نتایج مخرب تعلل بر یادگیری زبان را نفی ننمودند، تعدادی از آنها به نتایج سازنده‌ی آن در یادگیری اشاره کردند. همچنین برخی راهکارها برای تعدیل تاثیرات مخرب تعلل و حتی تبدیل آنها به نتایج سازنده از بین اطلاعات جمع‌آوری شده ظاهر گردید. بدین ترتیب، تحقیق حاضر به ساخت تئوری داده بنیاد «تعلل در یادگیری زبان» منجر شد. تئوری مذکور دو زمینه‌ی نتایج و راهکارها را پوشش می‌دهد و می‌تواند افق جدیدی را در برخورد با رفتار تاخیری زبان‌آموزان گشایش نماید.

Keywords [Persian]

  • تئوری داده بنیاد کلاسیک
  • تعلل
  • تعلل مخرب در یادگیری زبان
  • تعلل سازنده در یادگیری زبان
  • راهکارهای غلبه
Abramowski, A. (2018). Is procrastination all that “bad”? A qualitative study of academic procrastination and self-worth in postgraduate university students. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 46(2), 158-170.
Birt, L., Scott, S., Cavers, D., Campbell, C., & Walter, F. (2016). Member checking: A tool to enhance trustworthiness or merely a nod to validation? Qualitative Health Research, 26(13), 1802-1811.
Burka, J. B., & Yuen, L. M. (2008). Procrastination: Why you do it, what to do about it now (2nd ed.). Massachusetts: Perseus Books.
Choi, J., & Moran, S. V. (2009). Why not procrastinate? Development and validation of a new active procrastination scale. The Journal of Social Psychology, 149(2), 195-211.
Chu, A. H. C., & Choi, J. N. (2005). Rethinking procrastination: Positive effects of “active” procrastination behavior on attitudes and performance. The Journal of Social Psychology, 145, 245-264.
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Boston: Pearson Education.
Ellis, A., & Knaus, W. J. (1977). Overcoming procrastination. New York: Institute for Rational Living.
Ferrari, J. R. (1991). Self-handicapping by procrastinators: Protecting self-esteem, social-esteem, or both? Journal of Research in Personality, 25, 245-261.
Ferrari, J. R. (1992). Psychometric validation of two procrastination inventories for adults: Arousal and avoidance measures. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 14, 97-110.
Ferrari, J. R. (1995). Perfectionism cognitions with nonclinical and clinical samples. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 10, 143-156.
Ferrari, J. R., Johnson, J. L., & McCown, W. G. (1995). Procrastination and task avoidance: Theory, research and treatment. New York: Plenum Press.
Fischer, C. (1997). Read this paper even later: Procrastination with time-inconsistent preferences. Mimeo, University of Michigan. Retrieved from http://www.rff.org/files/sharepoint/WorkImages/Download/RFF-DP-99-20.pdf.
Gagnon, J., Dionne, F., & Pychyl, T. A. (2016). Committed action: An initial study on its association to procrastination in academic settings. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 5(2), 97-102.
Glaser, B. G. (1978). Theoretical sensitivity. Mill Valley: Sociology Press.
Glaser, B. G. (1998). Doing grounded theory: Issues and discussions. California: Sociology Press.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. New York: Aldine De Gruyter.
Grunschel, C., Patrzek, J., & Fries, S. (2013). Exploring the reasons and consequences of academic procrastination: An interview study. European Journal of Psychology Education, 28, 841-861.
Harris, N. N., & Sutton, R. I. (1983). Task procrastination in organizations: A framework for research. Human Relations, 36, 987-996.
Janis, I. L., & Mann, L. (1977). Decision making: A psychological analysis of conflict, choice, and commitment. New York: Free Press.
Kim, K. R., & Seo, E. H. (2015). The relationship between procrastination and academic performance: A meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 82, 26-33.
Klassen, R. M., Krawchuk, L. L., & Rajani, S. (2008). Academic procrastination of undergraduates: Low self-efficacy to self-regulate predicts higher levels of procrastination. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33, 915-931.
Lay, C. H., Knish, S., & Zanatta, R. (1992). Self-handicappers and procrastinators: A comparison of their practice behavior prior to an evaluation. Journal of Research in Personality, 26, 242-257.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1991). Methods and results in the study of anxiety in language learning: A review of the literature. Language Learning, 41, 85-117.
Marcos-Llinas, M., & Garau, M. (2009). Effects of language anxiety on three proficiency-level courses of Spanish as a foreign language. Foreign Language Annals, 42, 94-111.
Maxwell, J. A. (2005). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Milkman, K. L., Minson, J. A., & Volpp, K. G. M. (2014). Holding the hunger games hostage at the gym: An evaluation of temptation bundling. Management Science, 60(2), 283-299.
Ozer, B., Demir, A., & Ferrari, J. R. (2009). Exploring academic procrastination among Turkish students: Possible gender differences in prevalence and reasons. The Journal of Social Psychology, 149(2), 241-257.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Pinxten, M., Laet, T. D., Soom, C. V., Peeters, C., & Langie, G. (2019). Purposeful delay and academic achievement. A critical review of the Active Procrastination Scale. Learning and Individual Differences, 73, 42-51.
Rothblum, E. D., Solomon, L. J., & Murakami, J. (1986). Affective, cognitive, and behavioural differences between high and low procrastinators. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 33, 387-394.
Scher, S., & Nelson, L. (2002). Academic procrastination: Affect, achievement, goals and anxiety. Presentation at American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL.
Schouwenburg, H. C. (2004). Procrastination in academic settings: General introduction. In H. C. Schouwenburg, C. H. Lay, T. A. Pychyl, J. R. Ferrari, H. C. Schouwenburg, C. H. Lay, ... J. R. Ferrari (Eds.) , Counseling the procrastinator in academic settings (pp. 3-17). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Schraw, G., Wadkins, T., & Olafson, L. (2007). Doing the things we do: A grounded theory of academic procrastination. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(1), 12-25.
Sirois, F. M., & Tosti, N. (2012). Lost in the moment? An investigation of procrastination, mindfulness, and well-being. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 30(4), 237-248.
Solomon, L., & Rothblum, E. (1984). Academic procrastination: Frequency and cognitive-behavioral correlates. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31(4), 503-509.
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 65-94.
Trang, T. T. T., Baldauf, R. B., & Moni, K. (2013). Foreign language anxiety: Understanding its status and insiders’ awareness and attitudes. TESOL Quarterly, 47(2), 216-243.
Wessel, J., Bradley, G. L., & Hood, M. (2019). Comparing effects of active and passive procrastination: A field study of behavioral delay. Personality and Individual Differences, 139, 152-157.
Xiaoyu, L., Buxton, O. M., Kim, Y., Haneuse, S., & Kawachi, I. (2020). Do procrastinators get worse sleep? Cross-sectional study of US adolescents and young adults. SSM – Population Health, 10, 1-8.