Implementing Time Management and Goal setting Procedure in a University Research-Methods Class: Psychological and Academic Outcomes

Goal setting and time management have long been celebrated as foundational requirements for high level accomplishment across many domains. The first problem addressed in the present study is whether time management and goal setting can be taught and applied successfully in a large academic class in a relatively short period of time. The second is whether such teaching and application results in significant improvement in the personal and educational outcomes of university students. Students in a large research methods class at a public university in the southeastern United States (N = 145) volunteered to participate in a 10-week study. The study employed a within-subjects design in which participants participated in a baseline phase where they kept track of educational outcomes week by week for five weeks. Following the university spring break, principles of goal setting and time management principles were provided to the students in two class periods.Then for five additional weeks (the experimental phase) educational outcomes were Measured when students implemented the goal setting and time management procedures. Results found that students improved significantly in the experimental phase by reporting greater efficiency, more confidence, experiencing less guilt, experiencing a greater sense of internal order, they were less distracted, enjoyed greater clarity, understood material better, stayed ahead of the game more consistently, enjoyed more outside activities, had better life balance, put in more hours of study, and had better focus. Results are discussed and implications for applying these procedures are explored.

Keywords: Time Management, Goal Setting, Academic Outcomes, Psychological Outcomes, Baseline-Experimental Design.