Using Instructor-Implemented Interventions to Improve College-Student Time Management

Abstract

Time management difficulties are prevalent among undergraduate students and very few practical and effective instructor-implemented interventions exist. This study empirically tested two multicomponent interventions targeting time management in undergraduates enrolled in introductory and upper-level psychology courses. Students in the Schedule and Goals intervention were taught about the usefulness and importance of time management and shown how to use scheduling and goal setting strategies. Students in the Schedule Only intervention were only shown how to use the scheduling strategy. Students in both interventions also submitted either a weekly schedule and time management goals (Schedule and Goals) or only a weekly schedule (Schedule Only) on their course Learning Management System for 8 weeks. No significant post-intervention differences in time management behavior were found between the intervention conditions. However, students in the introductory course experienced a significant increase in post-intervention time management behavior. Post-intervention time management behavior was also positively correlated with final course grades. Results support the use of instructor-implemented interventions to improve college student time management.             Keywords: Time management, self-regulated learning, college teaching, instructor-implemented interventions