The mediating role of time management on the relationship between academic procrastination and students’ mathematics achievement

This study was conducted to clearly determine the extent to which time management functions as a mediating variable in the relationship between academic procrastination and students’ mathematics achievement, given the growing concern over students’ learning behaviors and academic outcomes. This research used a descriptive correlation design to examine the mediating role of time management in the relationship between academic procrastination and students' mathematics achievement. There were 485 respondents who were Grade 10 students from five chosen secondary schools in the Cebu City Division during the school year 2024 to 2025. The respondents were identified via simple random sampling to ensure adequate representation of the target population. They answered a two-part survey questionnaire to assess their time management and academic procrastination, while their mathematics achievement was assessed via their first-quarter grades as obtained from official school records. The data were analyzed via frequency count, percentage, weighted mean, standard deviation, Pearson's r, and multiple regression analyses to describe the variables and determine the strength and direction of their relationships. The results revealed that the respondents had moderate academic procrastination and time management levels based on the computed descriptive statistics. Moreover, the respondents had satisfactory mathematics achievement. There was a negligible negative correlation between academic procrastination and mathematics achievement. Similarly, the test of the relationship between academic procrastination and students’ time management also revealed a negligible negative correlation. Moreover, there is a significant negligible positive correlation between time management and mathematics achievement suggesting that improved time-related behaviors are associated with slightly better academic outcomes. The relationship between academic procrastination and students' mathematics achievement is partially mediated by time management. School administrators and teachers are therefore highly encouraged to actively promote effective time management so that academic procrastination has less of a negative effect on students' achievement, particularly in mathematics, thereby contributing to improved instructional practices and student academic success.