Content uploaded by Alexander Häfner
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Alexander Häfner on Oct 21, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
Decreasing students’ stress through time management training: an intervention study
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a time management training program on perceived control of time and perceived stress in the context of higher education. Twenty-three undergraduate students attended a time management training intervention and reported demands, perceived stress and perceived control of time directly before 2 and 4 weeks after training. We used a “non-equivalent dependent variable design” (Cook and Campbell, Quasi-experimentation: design and analysis for field settings, p. 118, 1979) with perceived stress and perceived control of time as dependent variables, which should be influenced by the training, and demands as control variable, which should not be changed. As expected, perceived stress decreased and perceived control of time increased after training, whereas demands did not change. Therefore, time management training might be beneficial for undergraduate students’ well-being. Nevertheless, more intervention studies in this field are necessary, especially with lager samples, to contribute to more robust results and conclusions.
... A theoretical framework to understand this interaction is cognitive load theory (CLT; [6]), which suggests that stress can increase extraneous cognitive load, thereby reducing cognitive resources available for SRL activities such as goal-setting and monitoring [6,7]. Conversely, effective SRL can help mitigate stress by improving academic outcomes [2,8] and enhancing time management [9]. Consequently, the present study sought to investigate the longitudinal bidirectional relationships between aspects of undergraduate students' SRL and stress in workplace environments. ...
... By breaking down tasks, planning ahead, and regularly assessing their understanding, students can maintain a steady and manageable pace in their studies, which helps prevent the accumulation of stress. Previous studies have shown that time management strategies play a significant role in reducing stress [9]. Previous research investigating the link between stress and SRL in workplace and higher education settings, mainly crosssectional, has correlated various aspects of SRL and perceived stress (e.g [53][54][55][56]), or explored unidirectional effects (e.g [57]). ...
... Their results showed that students with low test anxiety and high SRL abilities experienced lower stress levels than did those with high test anxiety and high SRL abilities and those with moderate test anxiety and low SRL abilities. Regarding the directional effect of cognitive SRL strategies on academic stress, Häfner, Stock, and Oberst [9] highlight the benefits of time management strategies in reducing perceived stress. ...
The present study focused on the relationships between various aspects of self-regulated learning (SRL) and stress among undergraduate health science students in workplace settings. Although both constructs are associated with academic achievement it is still unclear how they influence each other. Employing a longitudinal diary design, the aim of the present study was to examine whether perceived stress in the previous week impacts SRL-aspects in the current week and, conversely, whether SRL-aspects in the previous week impacts stress in the current week. Subjects were 192 undergraduate health sciences students in their workplace placements. SRL-aspects and stress were assessed using scales and previously tested single-item measures. The 21 SRL-aspects used in this study included cognition (learning strategies), motivation, emotion, perception of the learning environment, and regulation of these areas on a metalevel (monitoring and control). Data collected over 15 weeks were analyzed using multilevel vector autoregressive models, with the data nested within weeks and one model dedicated to each SRL-aspect and its relationship with stress. Among the 21 path estimates assessing the impact of prior stress on individual SRL-aspects, 10 were statistically significant. For individual SRL-aspects impacting stress, 7 out of 21 paths were statistically significant (p < .05). Notably, no model showed statistical significance of effects in both directions. Except for two results, cross-lagged relationships were negative, indicating that better SRL-aspects from the previous week resulted in reduced stress in the current week and vice versa. The effects for the cross-lagged paths from SRL-aspects to stress were predominantly of medium size, whereas the influence of stress on individual SRL-aspects was predominantly small. The present study highlights a potentially causal and mostly negative relationship between stress and various aspects of SRL, but also that the individual relationships require differentiated consideration. The results can be used to develop targeted interventions in the practical part of the training of health science students to reduce stress and improve specific aspects of SRL. Furthermore, these findings underscore assumptions regarding connections between anxiety and increased stress, negative relationships between stress and motivation, and the importance of effective time management strategies for stress reduction.
... The evidence from existing literature has reported a significant negative correlation between time management skills and academic stress levels among university students, signifying that students who exhibit practical time management skills tend to experience reduced stress levels associated with their academic pursuits (Manjula, 2016;Sallehuddin et al., 2019). Likewise, in a non-equivalent dependent variable design, the researcher demonstrated that students who underwent training in time management techniques exhibited considerable enhancements in their capacity to manage academic workloads and reported decreased academic stress levels (Häfner et al., 2015). These facts demonstrate how important it is to incorporate the development of time management skills into the curriculum to provide students with the tools they need to handle academic pressures successfully. ...
... According to their findings, students who employ efficient time management practices experience reduced stress levels related to academic workloads and deadlines. Additionally, findings from other observational studies corroborate the conclusions of our research, indicating that effective time management strategies yielded a significant reduction in academic stress when compared to engagement in leisure pursuits (Dong et al., 2024;Häfner et al., 2015;Macan et al., 1990;Mussarat Jabeen Khan et al., 2013). Demonstrating an individual's time management disposition may indicate their psychological and behavioural traits related to their time utilisation. ...
Background
Several cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations have demonstrated a robust association between academic stress, physical activity, mental health history, and time management skills. However, the existing literature exhibits inconsistencies in the relationship between academic stress and its predictive effects on physical activity and mental health history. In addition, there is a scarcity of scholarly research that concentrates on the significance of time management skills within this particular context. Furthermore, limited research has investigated these variables’ longitudinal associations and causal pathways. Therefore, the present research explores the longitudinal relationships among academic stress, physical activity, mental health history, and time management skills among university students.
Methods
The data were gathered from Wuhan University, China, employing a two-wave longitudinal survey methodology with an annual interval. A cohort of 980 university-level students engaged in the completion of questionnaires, which encompassed measures of academic stress via the Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (ESSA), physical activity ascertained through Cho's five-item questionnaire, mental health history assessed by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and time management skills evaluated using the Time Management Behaviour Scale (TMBS). Subsequently, a cross-lagged path model was utilised to examine the prospective associations among these constructs.
Results
The outcomes of the cross-lagged path analysis indicated the presence of significant bidirectional relationships between academic stress and physical activity, mental health history, and time management skills. In addition, bidirectional interconnections existed between physical activity and mental health history. Furthermore, unilateral correlations were detected between physical activity and time management skills.
Conclusions
These findings underscore the importance of an integrated approach to student health initiatives and highlight the need for comprehensive support systems that address student well-being's psychological and physical aspects.
... Considering the active role of students, as suggested by recent research [16][17][18], the questions raised about the constructs under analysis are justified, highlighting the need to examine them in their complexity. Students' academic time management planning and PR are not merely isolated factors of concern in the school environment. ...
... (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 10 July 2024 doi:10.20944/preprints202407.0735.v116 ...
Academic procrastination, more than merely postponing tasks, represents a significant failure in the self-regulation process of learning. Research on study skills highlights academic time management as one of the crucial elements of learning strategies and sustainable education. These abilities will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals fourth goal. Therefore, this study aimed to understand how students plan time management in school activities and its influence on study procrastination, analyzing differences between genders and the hours students spend studying. The Time Management Planning Inventory, the Study Procrastination Questionnaire, and a personal and school data sheet were used. A sample of 506 students from elementary schools in northern Portugal was utilized. The results revealed that gender and study hours significantly influence how students plan time management for school tasks in the short and long term. This variable also showed a significant impact on the procrastination of study activities. The practical implications of this study are substantial, as they provide educators and researchers insights into the factors influencing academic procrastination and the role of time management planning and study hours. These insights can be applied to develop effective strategies to reduce academic procrastination and promote sustainable education.
... Other approaches could be linked to strengthening students' resilience [94], their sense of belonging, or metacognitive strategies. References [95,96] have shown that just a twopart management training of 2 to 4 h can significantly reduce perceived tension and facilitate perceived control of time. Reference [50] suggests mindfulness-based stress prevention measures, Ref. [54] interventions in improving "perceived problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and leadership skills for life success" (p. ...
The current dropout rate in physics studies in Germany is about 60%, with the majority of dropouts occurring in the first year. Consequently, the physics study entry phase poses a significant challenge for many students. Students’ stress perceptions can provide more profound insights into the processes and challenges during that period. In a panel study featuring 67 measuring points involving up to 128 participants at each point, we investigated students’ stress perceptions with the perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ), identified underlying sources of stress, and assessed self-estimated workloads across two different cohorts. This examination occurred almost every week during the first semester, and for one cohort also in the second semester, yielding a total of 3241 PSQ data points and 5823 stressors. The PSQ data indicate a consistent stress trajectory across all three groups studied that is characterized by significant dynamics between measuring points, spanning from M = 20.1 , S D = 15.9 to M = 63.6 , S D = 13.4 on a scale from 0 to 100. Stress levels rise in the first weeks of the lecture, followed by stable, elevated stress levels until the exams and a relaxation phase afterward during the lecture-free time and Christmas vacation. In the first half of the lecture period, students primarily indicated the weekly exercise sheets, the physics lab course, and math courses as stressors; later on, preparation for exams and the exams themselves emerged as the most important stressors. Together with the students’ self-estimated workloads that correlate with the PSQ scores, we can create a coherent picture of stress perceptions among first-year physics students, which builds the basis for supportive measures and interventions.
Published by the American Physical Society 2024
... Considering the active role of students, as suggested by recent research [12,14,17], the questions raised about the constructs under analysis are justified, highlighting the need to examine them in their complexity. Students' academic time management planning and PR are not merely isolated factors of concern in the school environment. ...
Academic procrastination, more than merely postponing tasks, represents a significant failure in the self-regulation process of learning. Research on study skills highlights academic time management as one of the crucial elements of learning strategies and sustainable education. These abilities will help achieve the fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, this study aimed to understand how students plan time management in school activities and its influence on study procrastination, analyzing differences between genders and the hours students spend studying. The Time Management Planning Inventory, the Study Procrastination Questionnaire, and a personal and school data sheet were used. A sample of 506 students (Mage = 13.7) from basic schools in northern Portugal was utilized. The results revealed that gender and study hours significantly influence how students plan time management for school tasks in the short and long term. These variables also showed a significant impact on the procrastination of study activities. The practical implications of this study are substantial, as they provide educators and researchers with insights into the factors influencing academic procrastination and the role of time management planning and study hours. These insights can be applied to develop effective strategies to reduce academic procrastination and promote sustainable education.
... However, the impact of the intervention on mental health outcomes and organizational outcomes is uncertain. Future research would benefit from including one or more control groups, potentially in a randomized controlled design or alternatively utilizing a non-equivalent dependent variable design including one or more variables that would not be expected to change due to the intervention, such as amount of work or demands (Häfner et al., 2015). To evaluate the effectiveness of this organizational-level workplace MBI using a randomized controlled design, effects would have to be evaluated at company-level, and thus, cluster-randomization should be conducted with companies representing clusters. ...
Objectives
The primary objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility assessed by reach and dose of an organizational-level workplace-adapted mindfulness-based intervention (MBI). Secondarily, potential changes in mental health and organizational outcomes were evaluated.
Method
Using a quasi-experimental design without a control group, the study included four small- and medium-sized private companies. A three-step MBI was delivered live online via Zoom. Feasibility was assessed using data on reach (number of participants) and dose (number of sessions attended). Data on mental health and organizational outcomes were collected at baseline and 3- and 12-month follow-up and analyzed using mixed-effects linear regression for continuous variables, and mixed-effects logistic regression for dichotomous variables.
Results
In total, 278 (75.54%) employees and managers participated in an introductory session, and 169 (45.92%) signed up for a workplace-adapted 10-week MBSR course, while 3 (75.00%) companies participated in an implementation workshop. Among MBSR-participants, the median dosage was 9/10 sessions in three companies, and 8/10 in one company. Only small statistically non-significant changes were seen in mental health outcomes, such as tendencies to decreased perceived stress and increased well-being at 3-month follow-up. However, these tendencies were not sustained at 12-month follow-up. Yet, a positive impact was seen on respondents’ ability to decenter, and thus observe one’s thoughts and feelings, at both 3- and 12-month follow-up. Organizational impact at 3-month follow-up varied across outcome measures, with a statistically significant reduced likelihood of occasionally experiencing negative acts. However, at 12-month follow-up, this reduction was no longer statistically significant, and measures of social capital and psychological safety had generally decreased.
Conclusions
This workplace MBI is deemed feasible. However, the potential impacts on mental health and organizational outcomes remain unclear.
Preregistration
This study is registered at ISRCTN Registry (ISRCTN93567471).
... Positive thinking may be promoted by implementing preventive programs during medical curriculum that have already shown promising results in terms of stress reduction in students and healthcare providers 42,43 . Active resolution may be promoted by implementing time management training, which has by itself proven its efficacy in terms of lowering students' stress levels 44 . Additional randomized controlled trials might be undertaken to assess the efficacy of preventive programs in improving psychological well-being within the context of examinations and academic achievement. ...
Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a valid method to evaluate medical students’ competencies. The present cross-sectional study aimed at determining how students’ coping and health-related behaviors are associated with their psychological well-being and performance on the day of the OSCE. Fourth-year medical students answered a set of standardized questionnaires assessing their coping (BCI) and health-related behaviors before the examination (sleep PSQI, physical activity GPAQ). Immediately before the OSCE, they reported their level of instant psychological well-being on multi-dimensional visual analogue scales. OSCE performance was assessed by examiners blinded to the study. Associations were explored using multivariable linear regression models. A total of 482 students were included. Instant psychological well-being was positively associated with the level of positive thinking and of physical activity. It was negatively associated with the level of avoidance and of sleep disturbance. Furthermore, performance was negatively associated with the level of avoidance. Positive thinking, good sleep quality, and higher level of physical activity were all associated with improved well-being before the OSCE. Conversely, avoidance coping behaviors seem to be detrimental to both well-being and OSCE performance. The recommendation is to pay special attention to students who engage in avoidance and to consider implementing stress management programs.
Clinical trial: The study protocol was registered on clinicaltrial.gov NCT05393206, date of registration: 11 June 2022.
Previous research in higher education has shown that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)- based interventions benefit students’ well-being. However, little is known about the range of behaviour changes behind these outcomes.
In this mixed methods study, we explored the variety of the changes ACT-based course participating university students (N = 101) describe in their reflective learning reports. We did so by applying the Extended Evolutionary Meta Model (EEMM) in abductive content analysis and using network visualisation of the various study burnout risk change groups.
The results showed that the largest proportion of students described changes in the EEMM dimension of overt behaviour (75%), especially time and effort management. Vitality and decreased distress were the most described outcomes related to behaviour changes.
Students' study burnout risk decreased significantly at the course level. When observing the interrelations of behaviour changes in the networks of burnout risk change groups, alongside time and effort management, attentional and affective dimensions representing present moment awareness and acceptance were central changes in the group with the greatest reduction in burnout risk.
The findings of this study contribute to the need to map out the variety of beneficial mechanisms and serve further idiographic research about changes during study-integrated ACT-based interventions.
Background or Context
The COVID-19 pandemic may be considered a focusing event that has drawn greater attention to the physical and mental health of community college students.
Purpose, Objective, Research Question, or Focus of Study
This study examined community college students’ self-reported life stressors pre- and post-pandemic-onset to identify any reported differences, both in occurrence and in impact on course completion.
Research Design
Surveys were collected after the COVID-19 pandemic onset at the City University of New York’s largest community college. The 529 students enrolled in STEM subjects were asked about potentially stressful life events experienced during spring 2020 and how strongly these impacted the time or energy they had for their studies (response rate 88.2%).
Conclusions or Recommendations
Students’ reporting of the presence of life stressors, as well as their rating of the impact on their studies, were significantly predictive of subsequent course outcomes. However, stressors reported as beginning prior to the pandemic had a larger and more significant relationship with course outcomes than those reported as beginning after pandemic onset. Further, stressors were already highly prevalent prepandemic, with over three-quarters of students reporting them. Although the pandemic may have drawn attention to the existence and impact of stressors, it may simply be a focusing event that drew heightened attention to a pre-existing issue. Results from this study indicate that life stress may significantly impact the outcomes of community college students even outside of pandemic conditions, suggesting that this is a critical area for community colleges to address.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether time management behaviours moderated relations between stressors (role conflict, role overload, work-family conflict, and family-work conflict) and strain, as measured by scores on the General Health Questionnaire. It was predicted that use of time management behaviours would be negatively associated with strain. These relations, however, were expected to be mediated by feelings of control over time. It was further predicted that the use of time management behaviours would attenuate stressor-strain relations. Data collected from 525 employed men and women indicated, as predicted, that use of time management behaviours was negatively associated with strain. These relations were partially mediated by feelings of control over time. Moderator tests failed to provide support for time management behaviour as a moderator of stressor-strain relations. Implications of findings are discussed and future directions for time management research are suggested.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a short-term time management training programme on perceived control of time and perceived stress. The sample of 177 freshmen was randomly assigned to a time management training (n = 89) and an active control group (CG) (n = 88). We expected that an increase in external demands during the first weeks of the semester would lead to more perceived stress in the CG, but not in the time management training group, due to the time management intervention. As hypothesised, perceived stress increased in the CG, but not in the time management training group. Furthermore, perceived control of time increased in the time management training group but remained unchanged in the CG. Even a rather short intervention of 2 h can protect freshmen from an increase in perceived stress at the beginning of the semester.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a short-term time management intervention on procrastination. Procrastination is a serious issue for many students and associated with different negative consequences, such as anxiety or low grades. As procrastination is described as a self-regulatory failure, a training programme focussing on self-regulatory skills might be helpful. We randomly assigned 96 students to a treatment (n = 47) and a control group (n = 49). As hypothesised, participants of the control group showed procrastination: they spent more time on a self-selected, important academic task right before the deadline was reached compared to the weeks before. The participants of the treatment group, instead, allocated their work time more equally and did not show procrastination. Therefore, the explored time management intervention prevents from a serious time management problem.
The authors summarize 35 years of empirical research on goal-setting theory. They describe the core findings of the theory, the mechanisms by which goals operate, moderators of goal effects, the relation of goals and satisfaction, and the role of goals as mediators of incentives. The external validity and practical significance of goal-setting theory are explained, and new directions in goal-setting research are discussed. The relationships of goal setting to other theories are described as are the theory’s limitations.
A pilot survey of science students conducted by Cook & Leckey confirmed that student study habits formed in secondary school persist to the end of the first semester of university life. Such a conclusion indicates that students are not bridging the gap between school and university quickly and effectively. The study reported here is based on surveys of first year students across the University of Ulster and compares their prior perceptions with their experiences after one term. We consider the literature relating to preparedness and student retention and present the results of these surveys in this broad context. Most students appear to have managed the transition into university life success fully since they do not experience the academic, personal and practical difficulties they expected. There is, however, a considerable minority (20-30%) who consistently experience academic and personal problems and for whom coming to university has been a negative experience. These students are at risk, if not from drop-out, then from under-performance and lack of fulfilment.
Despite the high 'guru-factor' in time management, few claims have been subjected to empirical investigation. This study tests the claims that people who manage their time well perceive themselves to be more effective and feel less stressed. University staff and students were utilized to investigate the relationship between time management related behaviours, perceived effectiveness, and work-related morale and distress. Results suggested a hierarchy of time management behaviours. Having a clear sense of career purpose was most important for perceived effectiveness at work, followed by planning and prioritizing. This study has significant practical implications for staff and students. If the aim of using time management strategies is to improve performance and reduce stress, people need to learn to identify the purpose in their career, then plan their time accordingly, rather than tidying desks and hanging 'do not disturb' signs on doors.
Sales research to date has focused on coping styles as measured by problem-focused coping (PFC) and emotion-focused coping (EFC), but it has excluded time management perceptions and behaviors as ways of coping with stress (Srivastava and Sager 1999; Strutton and Lumpkin 1993). This study examines a coping model that integrates EFC, PFC, and time management behaviors in the rubric of a profile. The profile allows for practice of several coping behaviors simultaneously. Using data gained from salespeople, four tentative coping strategy profiles are developed and examined relative to personal characteristics and job outcomes. Study results suggest that salespeople who are able to better handle stress use time management behaviors more often in addition to using high levels of PFC and low levels of EFC.
The purpose of the study was to determine the degree of stress perceived by students at two community colleges in southern Illinois. The Perceived Stress Scale was used to gather data from 212 students enrolled in regularly scheduled psychology classes. Of the students, 75% were in a moderate stress category; 12% in a high stress category, and 13% in a low stress category. Women students were more stressed than men; there were no statistically significant differences between traditional and nontraditional students. The most often used activities to cope with stress included talking to family and friends, leisure activities, and exercising. Less desirable coping strategies were drinking alcohol, smoking, and using illegal drugs. Suggestions for community college personnel to use in assisting students cope with stress are discussed.