Uncovering Procrastination in Language Teaching: Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Situational Influences

Dino Dumančić

doi:10.31261/TAPSLA.17440

Published: 2025-10-15

2025

Uncovering Procrastination in Language Teaching: Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Situational Influences

Dino Dumančić

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.31261/TAPSLA.17440

Abstract

The study employed a mixed-methods approach to investigate the relationship between English language teachers’ teaching efficacy, emotional experiences, and situation and task-related procrastination. It aimed to explore both self-reported teaching self-efficacy beliefs and the factors influencing language teachers’ procrastination behaviors and emotions during task delay. A total of 305 Croatian EFL teachers participated in this study. Descriptive, correlation, and directed content analyses were carried out. According to the findings, the Croatian language teachers viewed themselves as highly effective in the classroom and they also reported engaging in procrastination infrequently. When inquired about language proficiency-related anxiety, they admitted having experienced it sporadically. Those confident in utilizing instructional strategies and implementing classroom management strategies procrastinated less and reported lower anxiety levels. Qualitative analysis revealed that demotivating or fatiguing tasks, especially administrative and testing-related ones, instigated procrastination, among others. When procrastinating, the teachers reported primarily unpleasant emotions, such as anxiety, nervousness, frustration, and guilt.

Keywords:

self-efficacy beliefs , anxiety , procrastination , EFL teachers , tasks , emotions

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Dumančić, D. (2025). Uncovering Procrastination in Language Teaching: Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Situational Influences. Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.31261/TAPSLA.17440

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2025
Published: 2022-05-31

ISSN: 2450-5455

eISSN: 2451-2125

10.31261/tapsla

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Uncovering Procrastination in Language Teaching: Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Situational Influences

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Dino Dumančić

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