Intervening in Academic Procrastination through MCII: A Theory-Based Model for Smart Learning Environments to Support Sustainable Development Goals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61453/INTIj.202544Keywords:
Academic procrastination, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII), Smart learning environments, Educational sustainabilityAbstract
Academic procrastination poses a significant challenge in higher education, particularly within digitally mediated and autonomous learning environments. This issue not only affects individual academic performance but also undermines broader efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. This conceptual paper introduces an integrated framework combining the Temporal Decision Model (TDM) with Mental Contrasting and Implementation Intentions (MCII) to address procrastination as a barrier to educational sustainability. The proposed model leverages AI-supported smart education systems to deliver scalable, cost-effective interventions, aligning with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). By fostering self-regulation and resilience, this framework contributes to creating adaptive, future-ready learners capable of navigating global challenges.
References
Alexander Govicar, D. Y., Purwaningrum, E. K., & Umaroh, S. K. (2024). The Influence of Academic Burnout on Academic Procrastination Among Students. KnE Social Sciences, 9(30), 369–378. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v9i30.17513
Brahma, B., & Saikia, P. (2023). Influence of self-regulated learning on the academic procrastination of college students. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 12, 182. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1106_22
Bu, X., Wu, L., & Wang, H. (2021). Impact of college students' academic procrastination on subjective well-being. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 49(7), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.9858
Castro, G. P. B., Chiappe, A., Rodríguez, D. F. B., & Sepulveda, F. G. (2024). Harnessing AI for Education 4.0: Drivers of Personalized Learning. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 22(5), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.22.5.3467
Cheng, S.-L., & Xie, K. (2021). Why college students procrastinate in online courses: A self-regulated learning perspective. Internet and Higher Education, 50, 100807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2021.100807
Dardara, E. A., & AL-Makhalid, K. A. (2021). Investigating the relationship between bedtime procrastination, psychological stress, and mental health among Saudi undergraduates. Review of International Geographical Education Online, 11(8). https://rigeo.org/menu-script/index.php/rigeo/article/view/2403
Derakhshan, A., & Gao, X. (2025). “I Am Excessively Pressed by Classroom Tasks”: A Cross‐Cultural Study on the Sources and Solutions of Chinese and Iranian EFL Students’ Academic Disengagement in Online Classes. Psychology in the Schools. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.23374
Glick, D. M., & Orsillo, S. M. (2015). An investigation of the efficacy of acceptance-based behavioral therapy for academic procrastination. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144(2), 400. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000050
Grunschel, C., Patrzek, J., Klingsieck, K. B., & Fries, S. (2018). “I’ll stop procrastinating now!” Fostering specific processes of self-regulated learning to reduce academic procrastination. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 46(2), 143–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2016.1198166
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
Kizilcec, R. F., Reich, J., Yeomans, M., Dann, C., Brunskill, E., Lopez, G., Turkay, S., Williams, J., & Tingley, D. (2020). Scaling up behavioral science interventions in online education. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(26), 14900–14905. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1921417117
Loeffler, S. N., Stumpp, J., Grund, S., Limberger, M., & Ebner-Priemer, U. (2019). Fostering self-regulation to overcome academic procrastination using interactive ambulatory assessment. Learning and Individual Differences, 72, 43–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2019.101760
Maypa, A. L. Z., Marcial, D. E., & Montemayor, J. O. (2023). Student engagement, challenges, and coping mechanisms in high school online distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic. Information Technologies and Learning Tools, 93(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.33407/itlt.v93i1.5148
Miyake, A., & Kane, M. J. (2022). Toward a holistic approach to reducing academic procrastination with classroom interventions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 31(4), 291–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214211070814
Oettingen, G. (2014). Rethinking positive thinking: Inside the new science of motivation. New York, NY: Penguin Random House. ISBN: 978-1591846871 / 1591846870
O’Driscoll, C., Singh, A., Chichua, I., Clodic, J., Desai, A., Nikolova, D., Yap, A. J., Zhou, I., & Pilling, S. (2024). An ecological mobile momentary intervention to support dynamic goal pursuit: Feasibility and acceptability study. JMIR Formative Research, 8. https://doi.org/10.2196/49857
Pereira, J., & Díaz, Ó. (2021). Struggling to keep tabs on capstone projects: a chatbot to tackle student procrastination. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), 22(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1145/3469127
Rozental, A., Forsström, D., Lindner, P., Nilsson, S., Mårtensson, L., Rizzo, A., Andersson, G., & Carlbring, P. (2017). Treating procrastination using cognitive behavior therapy: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial comparing treatment delivered via the internet or in groups. Behavior Therapy, 49(2), 180–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2017.08.002
Salguero-Pazos, M. R., & Reyes-de-Cózar, S. (2023). Interventions to reduce academic procrastination: A systematic review. International Journal of Educational Research, 121, 102228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2023.102228
Svartdal, F., & Nemtcan, E. (2022). Past negative consequences of unnecessary delay as a marker of procrastination. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.787337
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
Wang, S., Zhou, Y., Yu, S., Ran, L.-W., Liu, X., & Chen, Y.-F. (2017). Acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive–behavioral therapy as treatments for academic procrastination. Research on Social Work Practice, 27(1), 48–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731515577890
Zhang, S. M., & Feng, T. Y. (2020). Modeling Procrastination: Asymmetric Decisions to Act between the Present and the Future. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 149 (2): 311–322. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000643
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 INTI Journal

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.