Comparing Academic Procrastination Between Two Parallel Senior High School Classes

Abstract

Academic procrastination lowers academic achievement and is among the guidance needs most frequently reported in senior high school. At SMA Santa Familia Sikumana Kupang, the school counsellor and subject teachers judged grade X-1 students to hand in assignments late more often than grade X-2 students. This study examined whether that judgement is reflected in students' self-reported scores. A quantitative comparative design with total sampling was applied to all students of classes X-1 and X-2. Data from 58 students were collected with an Academic Procrastination Scale adapted from the Pure Procrastination Scale, which showed good internal consistency in this sample (α = .89), and analysed with an independent samples t-test. No significant difference emerged between the two classes, t(56) = −0.35, p = .730, Cohen's d = −0.09, with mean scores of 27.79 for X-1 and 28.59 for X-2. Most students fell into the low and moderate categories, and only four of 58 students fell into the high category. Scale scores therefore do not support the teachers' impression. For guidance and counselling services, these data provide no basis for weighting prevention differently across the two classes, while the late submissions teachers report need to be traced through assignment records.