Time Management Skills of Sports Sciences Faculty Students in a State University during Distance Learning

Background and Study Aim. The remote education process implemented following the earthquake, referred to as the "disaster of the century" in Turkey, led to significant changes in students' educational experiences. Students, distanced from their social environments in the university setting, were forced to attend classes and take exams online. This situation caused them to lose the discipline they had in face-to-face education. The impact was particularly evident in higher education institutions like the Faculty of Sports Sciences, which offers a curriculum with many practical courses, resulting in negative effects on students' time management skills. Therefore, this study aims to examine the time management skills of students in the Faculty of Sports Sciences. Material and methods. The sample of the study consists of 472 volunteer students (n=151 female, n=321 male) studying at the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Uşak University in the Spring Semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. The "Time Management Questionnaire" was used to assess the time management skills of the students. Data for this analytical cross-sectional study were collected using the online survey method after receiving approval from the Uşak University Social and Human Sciences Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 statistical software. Results. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in the students' time management skill levels according to gender, sporting status, knowledge and use of time management techniques, department, grade level, and grade point average (p<0.05). Conclusions. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that female students, students who engage in sports, students who know and use time management techniques, students studying in the Physical Education and Sports Teaching department, second-year students, and students with higher grade point averages have better time management skills compared to other students. Therefore, university and faculty administrations can implement practices such as adding courses to the curriculum, providing training, organizing seminars, and seeking support from different institutions to improve the time management skills of students with lower time management abilities.