The Mediating Role of Academic Procrastination in the Link Between Academic Motivation and Academic Adjustment Among University Students

Introduction: Academic adjustment is a crucial factor in the success of undergraduates. Understanding the various factors that shape this process can help develop effective strategies to support students. Aim: This study investigates the role of motivation in predicting academic adjustment among undergraduates, incorporating procrastination as a key mediating factor. Method: We adopted a cross-sectional design. Undergraduates from various Greek universities (N = 284; 63.4% female and 36.2% male students, M age = 21.2 years, and SD = 1.7) completed measures of academic motivation, academic procrastination, and academic adjustment. The students' past performance and demographic information were also collected. Results: Findings from structural equation modeling analysis supported the proposed model. Intrinsic motivation predicted better academic adjustment directly and through reduced procrastination, while extrinsic motivation showed a less significant direct effect but still contributed to procrastination behaviors. Amotivation predicted higher levels of procrastination and poorer academic adjustment. Procrastination negatively affected academic adjustment. Conclusion: Promoting intrinsic motivation could significantly enhance academic adjustment by reducing procrastination behaviors. Additionally, addressing amotivation and its role in procrastination is crucial to improving academic outcomes. Therefore, interventions should focus on fostering intrinsic motivation and reducing procrastination to improve academic adjustment.