Predictive Role of Academic Procrastination, Locus of Control and Self-Efficacy on Academic Performance of Pre-service Teachers

Khageswar Bhati; Laxmidhar  Behera; Sanjib Gahir

doi:10.35877/454RI.eduline4608

PDF Get rights and content

EduLine: Journal of Education and Learning Innovation

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026), Pages 73-85 · 2026-06-07

OriginalPaper | Open access | Published: June 7, 2026

Predictive Role of Academic Procrastination, Locus of Control and Self-Efficacy on Academic Performance of Pre-service Teachers

Khageswar Bhati, Laxmidhar Behera, Sanjib Gahir

EduLine: Journal of Education and Learning Innovation, Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026), pp. 73-85 https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.eduline4608 Published: 2026-06-07

Get Permissions

Abstract

Investigating the factors that influence academic performance is essential for improving student learning outcomes, particularly for pre-service teachers. This study examined the influence of gender, age and academic stream on academic procrastination, locus of control and self-efficacy; and it investigates the predictive role of academic procrastination, locus of control and self-efficacy towards academic performance of pre-service teachers. Ex-post facto research design is used in the study. Data were collected from 348 subjects enrolled in teacher education programme. Three measures of academic procrastination, locus of control and self-efficacy were completed by the participants; and the GPA scores was self-reported. Independent t-test, Analysis of variance and Multiple regression were used to examine study hypotheses. Result indicate gender has significant effect on pre-service teacher’ locus of control. There are no significant differences in academic procrastination, locus of control and self-efficacy according to age and academic stream. According to multiple regression analysis, academic procrastination had negative influence on performance scores and locus of control had no effect on academic performance. Moreover, self-efficacy found to have a significant positive role to facilitate academic performance of pre-service teachers. Result implies the need to develop efficacy belief of pre-service teachers as it has positive contribution to academic performance. Studying demographic differences in key variables investigated and understanding developmental delay behaviour of pre-service teachers could yield considerable implications to the field of teacher education.

Keywords

Academic procrastination Locus of control Self-efficacy Pre-service teachers

References (55)

Abusalehi, A., Bayat, B., Tori, N. A., & Salehiniya, H. (2019). Assessing condition academic self-efficacy and related factors among medical students. Advances in Human Biology, 9(2), 143-146. https://doi.org/10.4103/AIHB.AIHB_90_18
Alhassan, Z., Musah, B., Issah, A., & Mohammed, B. (2025). Locus of control and academic performance: a correlational study among deaf secondary school students in Ghana and Nigeria. European Journal of Special Education Research. 11(2).
Althubaiti, S.M., Alharbi, N.S., Althubaiti, A., Alzahrani, A. & Agha, S. (2025). Locus of control, learning styles, and academic achievement of Saudi pre?professional medical students: a cross?sectional study. Academic Psychiatry. 65-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-024-02056-9.
Arsini, Y., Ahman., Rusmana, N. (2023). The role of locus of control and resilience in student academic achievement. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research. 22(3). https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.3.24
Arslantas, S. (2021). An investigation of preservice teachers’ academic self-efficacy and academic motivation. International Journal of Modern Education Studies, 5(1), 146-167. http://dx.doi.org/10.51383/ijonmes.2021.95
Baird, G. L., Scott, W. D., Dearing, E., & Hamill, S. K. (2009). Cognitive self-regulation in youth with and without learning disabilities: academic self-efficacy, theories of intelligence, learning vs. performance goal preferences, and effort attributions. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28(7), 881–908. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2009.28.7.881
Bandura, A. (1995). Self-efficacy in Changing Societies. Cambridge Univ. Press.
Barabanshchikova, V.V., Boyarinov, D.M., Sultanova, F.R., & Ognyannikova, E.I. (2018). Academic procrastination in students at different age. The European Proceedings of Social & Behavioural Sciences. 318-328. https://dx.doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2018.07.42
Chinedu, O.R. and Nwizuzu, C.B. (2021) Relationship between locus of control and academic achievement of secondary school students in Abia State. Journal of Analytical Sciences, Methods and Instrumentation, 11, 15-22. https://doi.org/10.4236/jasmi.2021.112002
Choudary, Y. (2010). Impact of the emotional intelligence on work related outcomes among the nursing staff at SRM Hospitals, Chennai. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1623466
Choudhury, S.A. & Borooah, I.P. (2017). Locus of control and academic achievement of undergraduate college students of Guwahati City. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention. 6(4). 67-70.
Chouhan, M. (2019). Self-efficacy among science and arts students - a comparative study. Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research, 6(3). 76-79.
Dumnar, P.T. (2025). Effect of gender and stream on self-efficacy of students. Cosmos Multidisciplinary Research E-Journal, X(II). 87-93.
Ebe, O.F., Ntu N, N., & Edet, E.I. (2022). Locus of control and academic achievement among student nurses in Cross River State, Nigeria. American Journal of Education and Practice. 6(4). 26 – 33.
Farooq, A., Shah, T. & Amin, F. (2024). Academic procrastination and academic performance among conventional and online learners: understanding role of learners’ characteristics. The Journal of Educators Online. 10.9743/JEO.2024.21.3.5
Gayary M, Kalita S. (2025). Relationship between academic procrastination and academic achievement of postgraduate students. J Edu Health Promot; 14:8.
Ismail, M. S., Yusoff, S. H. M., Embong, R., Jusoh, W. H. W., Shuhari, M. H., Abdullah, S. S., Yahaya, A. (2019). The influence of study stream on carrier self-efficacy among secondary school students. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 8(4), 516–524.
Jan, G. & Maqbool, A. (2022). Difference in self-efficacy of college students during COVID-19 with respect to gender and streams of study. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 14(1). 4295-4303. 10.48047/INTJECSE/V14I1.533
Jha, R.K. (2025). Age-differences in academic procrastination: a cross-sectional analysis of high school and postgraduate students. International Journal of Indian Psychology,13(3),2241-2244. DIP:18.01.204.20251303, DOI:10.25215/1303.204
Johal, S.K. (2017). Academic procrastination and locus of control as predictors of academic achievement of college students. Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research, 4(3). 406-412.
Joubert, C. (2015). The relationship between procrastination and academic achievement of high school learners in North West province, South Africa. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-relationship-between-procrastination-and-of-in-Joubert/d568a1ba488c1059107b63a88346c747533d33f6
Kaur, H. (2023). Procrastination in relation to academic achievement among college students. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 5(4). 1-10.
Kaur, J. & Singh, G. (2021). Internal locus of control of undergraduate students with respect to stream and gender. K International Journal of Management and Social Science, 4(1 & 2). 29-38.
Kifayat M, Shah S, Sajjad S, Gillani M, Qurat Ul Ain, Nayab R. (2024). Academic procrastination and its correlation with academic satisfaction and academic performance among undergraduate students of allied health sciences of RMI Peshawar; an analytical cross-sectional study. Northwest J Med Sci. 3(2):3-9
Kim, K.R. & Seo, E.H. (2015). The relationship between procrastination and academic performance: A meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 82. 26-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.038.
Kolo, A. G., Jaafar, W. M. B. W., & Ahmad, N. B. (2017). Relationship between academic self-efficacy believed of college students and academic performance. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), 22(1), 75-80. https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-2201067580
Kooren, N.S.; Van Nooijen, C.; Paas, F. (2024). The Influence of Active and Passive Procrastination on Academic Performance: A Meta- Analysis. Educ. Sci., 14, 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030323
Kumar, R. (2021). The gender difference in locus of control among college students. Juni Khyat, 11(1). 288-293.
Kumaravelu, G. (2018). Locus of control in school students and its relationship with academic achievement. i-manager’s Journal on School Educational Technology, 13(4). 61-66.
Lachman M. E. (1986). Locus of control in aging research: a case for multidimensional and domain-specific assessment. Psychology and aging, 1(1), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.1037//0882-7974.1.1.34
Lee-Kelley, L. (2006). Locus of control and attitudes to working in virtual teams. International Journal of Project Management, 24(3), 234-243. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.01.003
Lefcourt, H. M. (1976). Locus of control: Current trends in theory and research. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Madan, N. & Soni, S. (2023). Role of locus of control and self-efficacy in predicting academic procrastination: A quantitative analysis. International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology. 11(VI). 496-500.
Meng, Q.; Zhang, Q. (2023,). The Influence of academic self-efficacy on university students’ academic performance: The mediating effect of academic engagement. Sustainability, 15, 5767. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075767
Mohanty A. (2021). Gender difference in locus of control: A comparative study. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 9(4), 935-949. 10.25215/0904.089
Muega-Geronimo, V. & Carlos, M.D. (2023). Gender-based analysis on self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers and their readiness in taking licensure examination. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 12(3). 1536-1541. 10.11591/ijere.v12i3.24461
Odanga, S.J. & Aloka, P.J. (2024). Effects of age on teachers’ self-efficacy: evidence from secondary schools. Athens Journal of Education, 11: 1-13. https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.X-Y-Z
Pai, M. & Arjun, S., PM (2023). Academic resilience and self-efficacy among young adults. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 11(2), 542-557. 10.25215/1102.057
Pala, A., Akyildiz, M., & Ba?c?, C. (2011). Academic procrastination behaviour of pre-service teachers’ of Celal Bayar University. International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology. 1418 – 1425.
Pradhan, M. & Behera, R.K. (2024). Academic procrastination of college going students in relation to their gender, locality, castes and academic streams. Mukt Shabd Journal. XIII (III). 888-899
Priyadharsan, S. & Saravanabawan, A. (2021). Does age matter to influence self-efficacy: review of related literature. Journal of Management, 6(2). 17-25.
Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 80(1), 1–28.
Sak, R. (2015). Comparison of self-efficacy between male and female preservice early childhood teachers. Early Child Development and Care, (185)10, 1629-1640.10.1080/03004430.2015.1014353.
Isiksal, M. (2005). Pre-service teachers’ performance in their university coursework and mathematical self-efficacy beliefs: What is the role of gender and year in program? The Mathematics Educator. 15(2). 8-16.
Siddiquah, A. (2019). Effect of gender, age, grade level, subjects, and family income on the locus of control of secondary school students. SAGE Open, 9(1). 1-6.
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York: Macmillan.
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.6
Tice, D. M. & Baumeister, R. F. (1997). Longitudinal study of procrastination, performance, stress, and health. Psychological Science, 8(6), 454-458. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280. 1997.tb00460.x
Tisocco, F., and Liporace, M. F. (2023). Structural relationships between procrastination, academic motivation, and academic achievement within university students: a self-determination theory approach. Innov. High. Educ. 48, 351–369. 10.1007/s10755-022-09622-9
Ucar, H., Bozkurt, A., & Zawacki-Richter, O. (2021). Academic procrastination and performance in distance education: A causal-comparative study in an online learning environment. The Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE), 22(4), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.17718/tojde.1002726
Üztemur, S. (2020). The mediating role of academic procrastination behaviours in the relationship between pre-service social studies teachers’ social media addiction and academic success. International Journal of Education Technology and Scientific Researches, 5(11). 63-101.
Variya H. & Parikh J. (2023). Locus of control and emotional intelligence in students. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 11(2),3071-3078. 10.25215/1102.303
Wang, H., Cheng, Z., & Smyth, R. (2018). Do migrant students affect local students’ academic achievements in urban China? Economics of Education Review, 63, 64-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2018.01.007
Ye?ilyaprak, B. (2004). Denetim oda??. Y. Kuzgun ve D. Deryakulu (Ed.), E?itimde bireysel farkl?l?klar içinde (s. 239-258). Ankara: Nobel Yay?nc?l?k.
Zhang, Y. (2025). Exploring the impacts of academic self-efficacy on learning engagement and academic success among Chinese master’s students. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 1(4). 1-27. 0.26803/ijlter.24.4.1.

How to Cite

Bhati, K., Behera, L., & Gahir, S. (2026). Predictive Role of Academic Procrastination, Locus of Control and Self-Efficacy on Academic Performance of Pre-service Teachers. EduLine: Journal of Education and Learning Innovation, 6(2), 73–85. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.eduline4608