Overview
A cross-sectional survey-based study examining how time management practices affect the academic performance of undergraduate diagnostic radiology technology students at King Abdul-Aziz University (KAU). The study was conducted over six months from September 2020 to February 2021, with a sample of 142 participants (75 females, 67 males).
Methodology
- Study design: Cross-sectional survey with self-designed questionnaire
- Sample size: 142 undergraduate students (response rate ~66%)
- Measurement: 22 Likert-scale questions (1-5) covering self-management, awareness, management, preferences, and performance domains
- Analysis: SPSS v25.0 with Pearson chi-square test (alpha = 0.05)
- Theoretical basis: Existentialism philosophy (learner-centered) and Pickle Jar Theory (Sharma & Waud, 2004) of time management
Key Findings
- 75.4% of students had a GPA between 4.5 - 5.0
- 64.8% of students disagreed that preplanning methods are inefficient, indicating positive perception of preplanning for academic performance
- 92.3% agreed that they meet their deadlines
- 74.6% agreed their time management skills need improvement (self-assessment)
- 36.7% of students with 4.0 - 4.5 GPA strongly believed their academic performance decreased due to misplanning (p = 0.005)
- 69.2% of students with 4.5 - 5.0 GPA strongly agreed that they meet their deadlines (p = 0.005)
- 66.3% of high-GPA students agreed they make to-do lists or use calendars (p = 0.047)
Time Management Behaviors Studied
The questionnaire assessed the following domains:
- Preplanning perceptions: Whether students view preplanning as effective for academic performance
- Short-range planning: Daily and weekly task planning
- Long-range planning: Monthly, quarterly, and yearly goal setting
- Time management practices: To-do lists, calendars, deadline adherence
- Personal factors: Sleep patterns, stress management, flexibility, work-life balance
- Self-assessment: Students' own perception of their time management skill level
Conclusions
- Preplanning was perceived by students as beneficial for academic performance
- No significant relationship was found between short-range and long-range time management behavior and academic achievement
- Students with positive time attitudes who managed time and met deadlines had higher grades
- Maintaining proper sleep patterns is recommended for better time management
- Using digitalized to-do lists and calendars is recommended for improved performance
- A longitudinal study is recommended for more definitive conclusions
Limitations
- Cross-sectional design provides only a snapshot rather than causal relationships
- Self-developed survey may introduce response bias
- Findings specific to radiology students at a single institution
- Conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected student sleep patterns and online learning experiences
Recommendations
- Students should maintain consistent sleep patterns
- Digital to-do lists and task calendars should be encouraged
- Longitudinal prospective studies with long-term follow-up across academic years are needed for further validation
