Causes of Academic Procrastination Behaviour among Pre-service Teachers: A Qualitative Study

Aims: In every aspect of life, procrastination is a prevalent and widely spread issue. This study sought to identify the causes of procrastination behaviour of pre-service teachers with regard to their academic context. Study Design: A qualitative approach was employed in this study. Methodology: The research subjects were 18 undergraduate students enrolled in 2-year pre-service teacher education programme in Odisha, India. Subjects were heterogeneous in terms of gender, stream and age. For data collection, semi-structured interview schedule was developed and administered in a face-to-face setting. Thematic analysis was carried out to analyze the interview data. Results: The findings of the study revealed that lack of time management, lack of interest, excessive use of social media, past habit, unfavorable class routine, last minute preparation, decision making, peer influence, menstruation were identified reasons for procrastination among pre-service teachers. Conclusion: Considering the findings, the study provides valuable insights into the causes of academic procrastination in teacher education and suggests effective intervention and feedback techniques to overcome procrastination behaviour of trainee-teachers during the initial phase of teaching profession.