Volume 18 (2025) Download Cover Page

A Causal Model of the Relationships Between Academic Psychological Capital, Self-Regulated Learning, and Active and Passive Procrastination Among Yarmouk University Students in Jordan

Article Number: e2025466  |  Available Online: September 2025  |  DOI: 10.22521/edupij.2025.18.466

Lina Bilal Abu Hassan , Hamzeh Abdulkarim Al-Rababah

Abstract

Background/purpose. Academic procrastination, prevalent among university students, impacts performance and well-being, yet its dynamics in Arab contexts remain underexplored. This study addresses the research gap by examining the direct and indirect effects of academic psychological capital (PsyCap; self-efficacy, resilience, optimism, hope) on active and passive procrastination, mediated by self-regulated learning (SRL), among Arab university students. The purpose was to develop a causal model to inform interventions in Jordanian higher education settings.

Materials/Methods. A quantitative correlational design was employed, surveying 1,326 students (541 males, 785 females) from Yarmouk University, Jordan, in the 2024/2025 academic year. Validated scales measured PsyCap, SRL, and active/passive procrastination. Path analysis within Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via AMOS software tested direct and indirect effects, with model fit assessed using Chi-square, CFI, TLI, and RMSEA.

Results. PsyCap dimensions significantly influenced procrastination: self-efficacy (β = 0.233), resilience (β = 0.119), and hope (β = 0.067) positively affected active procrastination, while hope (β = -0.306) and optimism (β = -0.135) reduced passive procrastination (p < 0.05). All PsyCap dimensions enhanced SRL (β = 0.115–0.200, p < 0.05). SRL positively impacted active procrastination (β = 0.259) and negatively affected passive procrastination (β = -0.200, p < 0.001). SRL mediated PsyCap-procrastination relationships, with partial (β = 0.049–0.062) and full (β = 0.038–0.043) mediation effects (p < 0.05).

Conclusion. The validated causal model confirms PsyCap’s direct and indirect effects on procrastination via SRL, offering novel insights for interventions to enhance adaptive behaviors and reduce maladaptive procrastination in Arab universities.

Keywords: Academic psychological capital, self-regulated learning, active procrastination, passive procrastination, Yarmouk University students

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