ClearMind Workshop: An ACT-based Intervention Tailored for Academic Procrastination among Computing Students

Abstract

Academic procrastination is a prevalent issue among students, detrimentally impacting their academic performance and well-being. Although existing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) interventions have aimed to alleviate this problem, they often follow generic ACT protocols, lacking customizations to address the challenges of academic procrastination. In this study, we introduce the ClearMind Workshop, a unique workshop that utilizes web-based ACT content and additional content to explore the nature, causes, and management strategies of procrastination. We assessed the effectiveness of the workshop by collecting pre- and post-survey data from workshop participants (N=19) and a control group (N=38) on their level of procrastination, anxiety, and subjective happiness and their use of coping strategies. Results reveal that the workshop reduced academic procrastination and anxiety in computing students. Participants adopted healthier coping strategies such as positive reframing and active coping strategies, while practicing less unhealthy ones such as self-blame and avoidance strategies. These findings encourage future directions on assessing long-term effects with a larger sample size, exploring additional variables, and integrating technology-based or online interventions.