The effectiveness of a training program based on metacognitive strategies in reducing academic procrastination among tenth-grade Palestinian students

The current study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a training program based on metacognitive strategies in reducing academic procrastination among tenth-grade female students. The study followed a quasi-experimental design with two groups (experimental and comparison). The sample consisted of 28 female students with high scores on the Academic Procrastination Scale. They were equally divided into an experimental group (14 students) that participated in the training program and a comparison group (14 students) that did not receive any intervention. The training program included a series of metacognitive strategies such as self-questioning, thinking aloud, concept mapping, the KWLH strategy, self-assessment, and time and effort management. It was implemented over 14 training sessions, two sessions per week, each lasting 60 minutes, across seven weeks. The Academic Procrastination Scale was administered at three time points (pretest, posttest, and follow-up), and the results showed statistically significant differences between the experimental and comparison groups at posttest in favor of the experimental group. Academic procrastination scores in the experimental group decreased markedly from pretest to posttest and remained stable at follow-up two months later, with no statistically significant difference between posttest and follow-up. At posttest, the experimental group demonstrated substantially lower academic procrastination total scores (M = 53.76, SD = 1.68) than the comparison group (M = 95.76, SD = 1.47; p < .001). However, treatment fidelity was not independently monitored, which limits conclusions regarding the precise mechanisms underlying the observed effects.