The Role of Time Management and its Impact

On Students’ academic achievement

A Case study (Northern Borders University)

Author:
Dr.Odai Falah Mohammad Alghaswyneh
Assistant Professor (Principal Investigator)
Department of Marketing
Northern Borders University- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Co- Auther
Dr.Wael Sh. Basri
Assistant Professor (Co-author)
Department OF Management Information system
Northern Borders University- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Table of Contents:

1 Abstract
2 Introduction
3 Literate review
4 Importance of the study
5 Problem of the study
6 Study's Aims
7 Hypotheses
8 Brief Definition
9 Method of the study
10 Resources of gathering data
11 Sample of Study
12 Reliability of study tool
13 Correcting the scale
14 Statistical Processing
15 Statistical Analysis
16 Hypothesis testing
17 Results
18 Recommendation
19 References

2
 Abstract
This study aims to analyze students' perspectives at Northern Borders
University (NBU) toward how time could be managed in terms of planning,
organizing upon academic achievement, and what is the role of time and its
impact on their academic achievement, in order to know how students spend
their leisure during and after university. The study aims to identify the main
reasons and obstacles that limit utilization of student's time.
Method: In order to get the outcomes of this study, a questioner designed as
a tool to collect data. The sample of this study consists of (550) students at
(NBU) in Saudi Arabia.
Results: The results of the study showed that: There is no statistically
significant relationship between the elements of students' time management
in terms of planning and organizing, and their academic achievement, with
low level of time utilization. Findings of the study also showed there is no
relation with statistically significant between student's personal variables
(specialization, place of residence, and educational status) and academic
achievement, and students' levels in planning and organizing area were
neutral, with a lack utilization of time.
Recommendations: based on the results, its recommended that university
administration should build-up a cohesive strategy to develop student's
perception of time importance and the benefits of utilizing it fruitfully. It
should develop a long-run plan to evolve students through training courses,
to enrich leisure with beneficiary programs that positively effects their
academic achievement by activating the role of academic supervision in
faculties.

Key Words: Time Management, Academic Achievement, Planning,

Organizing, University.

3
Introduction
Time considered as a rare source and it is
must be utilized well, for humans; the
passed time definitely not to be regained
or retrieved. Time is a limited source if
people do not arrange their missions with
time, and it is important in our lives,
both at the practical and educational
domains.
This study intended to diagnose the
student's ability to utilize time instead
planning and organizing, with regarded
to leisure and possibilities of wasting
time, to find the relationship between
time management and academic
achievement. This study concentrated
onto two different concepts:
management and time. By collecting
data from students as a core-respondents
to check their efforts in clarifying
organizing and planning processes to
benefit from time to effect positively on
academic achievement, which may be
affected by managing time to enhance
time utilization in a productive ways to
contribute well in achieving their goals.
The selected sample was randomly
included 550 students at NBU. Study
seeks to define potential issues related to
time management, different factors
affected the study, and to contribute in
serving community and researchers in
this field, while its considered as the first
of its kind at NBU, and Northern
District, where researchers expected this
type of research may benefit the students
inside higher education system at Saudi
Arabia. Statistics shows many results
also leads to many recommendations
introduced within this research.
4
Literate review
People lose a lot when they waste their
resources and wealth's, and losing it; is
more pronounced when time is wasted
intentionally, and it is considered among
the main criteria considered in making
judgments on the success and efficiency
of human contributions to themselves
and societies too. People in general, as
well as in making positive efforts aiming
to prevent time wasting. Then we can
say that respecting time and realizing its
real value makes an important change at
the level of individuals. One of the
unique properties of time is that it cannot
be saved for future. Regardless of the
way in which spend our life’s time,
which we spend our life, without any
difference between management and is
related to our success in life (Alwan &
Ahmid, 2009). It equals nothing here that
several concept of time exists, which is
differing from each other based on the
difference among the phenomena.
Phenomena in the universe are divided
into several classes which are: 1) The
mechanical materialistic, 2) Biological
time, 3) Psychological time, 4) Social
time, 5) Metaphysical time.
Organizations and individuals, attempt to
satisfy the goals and aims they aspire to
implement by benefiting from any
specifications provided within above five
classes. Time is considered as one of the
main recourses in life, and it should be
used positively because of its real
capital. Those who realize importance of
time, are the ones who achieve their
goals in their personal occupational
lives, and they realize that time is a
wealth that cannot be compensated.
Time is regarded as an opportunity, if
used wisely; it enables us of achieving
our goals, also if it is wasted so it leads
to failure (Alwan, and Ehmied 2009).
Economists based on the principle that
that time is a rare source, and determined
at using it effectively in order to ensure
the achievement of public and personal
goals. The lack of productive use of time
has several disadvantages at the personal
level, including the psychological health
an attitudinal state, which leads to the
lack of achievement of personal goals set
or the future. Deposit its great
importance, time is the most wasted
source and the one least productively
used both at the individual level and at
the level of society (Alian, 2011). In
general, time is considered as part of the
logical relationship between a certain
activity or event and another, and it can
be expressed in the past, present or
future. Time is unit of measurement fir
the rotation of earth around its axis and
around the sun. Time is a regular
combination of seconds which is a sub-
unit of minutes, hours, days,
successively; so time passes regularly
forward, and cannot be stopped,
accumulated, compensated, or
substituted (Alian, 2011). Based on the
facts presented, researchers agree that
time is a rare and valuable source, and
considered as a factor of competition, so
we ought to use it logically in order to
achieve our goals. The term of time
management in leisure means that time is
available for individual after work, and
can be spent in various activities based
on the planning and organization of the
individual through setting goals and
priorities. This importance of time makes
time management as an art and science
related to effective use of time. The
effective utilization of time requires
5
planning, as well as organization of time.
Time management enables us of
completing the largest quantity of
activities, using the same amount of
time, which means using time most
effectively (Abawi, 2006). Students as a
part of social combination needs to
satisfy their goals of academic
achievement; in their research
(Jianzhong, Ruiping, Brian, & Melinda,
2014) with title of "Modeling students'
time management in math homework"
they examined empirical models of
variables posited to predict time
management in math homework for high
school students. The findings of this
research formulated levels of analyses
showed that at the class level, time
management was positively related to
time spent on homework, but negatively
related to grade level. It also showed that
at the student level, time management
was positively associated with
monitoring motivation, arranging the
study environment, peer- and learning-
oriented reasons for doing homework,
and family help in solving homework. In
addition, males (compared with females)
were less likely to take initiatives to
manage homework time. Possible
explanations for and implications of
these findings were discussed, and
directions for future research were
offered. Another study for ( Mirzaei,
Oskouie, & Rafii, 2012) focused on time
management among nursing student and
decreasing tension and achieving
satisfaction of nursing student of several
skills for their future careers, and the
effect of time management as a main
factor in academic level. The finding of
the study showed that students spend
their time in academic activities, which
alleviate their tension. Study also study
showed that the student need suitable
time for the activities relevant to their
ages. In his study titled with "The effect
of variable related to family on the habits
of time management among first
secondary grade students in the
governorate of Madaba in Jordan"
(khalifah, 2012) investigated the effect
of certain variable related to family on
the habits of time management. The
study showed statistically significant
differences, among the means of the
habits of academic time management
among the students related to the number
of family members. While (Freihat,
Rababah, & Daoum, 2010) in a study
titled with "The degree of time
efficiency among the female student of
Ajloun College and the relation to
Academic achievement" which aimed to
identifying the degree of efficiency of
time management among the female into
student's level. Findings showed that
efficiency of time management is
medium in all the sections of the study.
A correlation between the attitude
towards time and academic
achievements existed. Time management
here showed an existence of statistically
significant differences related to the
Bachelor of Arts degree compared to the
diploma. But no significant difference
was found in terms of the other
variables. In the research which done by
the (Al-muzayan 2012) which titled
with: "The efficiency of Time
management among the relation to
academic achievement on the light of
certain variables", his study aimed to
clarify the role of the university in
increasing the efficiency of the time
management and it's relation to academic
6
achievement among the students of the
Islamic university. The research showed
there is no significant difference among
the means of the student’s
questionnaires, in terms of the efficiency
of time management and its relationship
to academic achievement from the
students' perspective. Study also showed
there is a statistically significant
difference among the means of the
student's response, concerning the
efficiency of time management and it's
relationship to academic achievement by
using factor of (specialization). The
study showed a real need of increasing
the efficiency of time management
through the top management of the
university, in order to enhance the level
of academic achievement among the
student through academic training
programs. In addition, the study
recommended to increase the skills of
time utilization, in order to increase the
academic achievement of the students of
educational supervision. In the other
hand a study implemented by
(Khazaaleh & Al-Qawasmeh, 2012) with
title of "The Investment of Leisure Time
among the Students of King Faisal
University at Alhfuf – in Saudi Arabia"
investigated the activities that King
Faisal University's practice during their
leisure time in and outside campus and
during holidays. Study results showed
that students participated in many
activities at their leisure time as checking
emails, gathering, and chatting in groups,
chatting over phone calls and using
computers. While outside the university,
students spend their leisure time in the
previous activities and watching TV's,
calling friends, sitting with their
families, and shopping. Result show that
there are statistical significant
differences related to gender, further, the
study shows that there are no statistical
significant differences related to gender
variable concerning academic
achievement.
Importance of the study
The study illustrates the relation between
importance of time management to the
academic achievement and other life
activities in an effective and efficient
manner, the student's management of his
time refers to all activities related to his
control over the use of the most
important source, which is the (time).
The results and recommendations of this
study may contribute to increase the
student realization of the concept of time
and it's management, and diagnoses how
much does it matter to prevent waste of
time , based on factors of organizing and
planning processes due to management
of time and increasing students' abilities,
skills, good welling through the
productivity usage of time, as well as
deepening their realization of the
importance of time, and train them on
the skills of time management to be
effective employment; which will leads
to a better results in assessing their goals.
Problem of the study
The problem of is study lies in
identifying the real situation of time
management among the students of
Northern Borders University, and it's
efficiency in achieving their goals,
because time management is considered
as the basic step that towards the
achievement of the aims related to
attending university. Based on the
researcher belief about the importance of
7
time management, this study was carried
out in order to identify the importance of
time through answering the following
questions:
 First: Does time management
differ based on the variables of
(Academic years, gender and
age) and it is relation to student
academic achievement?
 Second: what are the concepts
held by the student in relation to
the method of time management
and its effective employment and
on academic achievement among
the student?
 Third: Is there time wasted
during and after the studying
time at the university?
 Fourth: what are the barriers that
hinder time management among
the students?
Study's Aims
This study aims to the following:
1- Revealing the effects of the
variable of gender, age and
educational level on time
management effect on the
academic achievement of the
student.
2- Identifying the attitudes effect of
the student ability on time
management in term of planning,
organization, due to the academic
achievement.
3- Revealing the real ways in which
the student spends leisure time
during and after their classes at
the university.
4- Identifying the obstacles and
barriers which hinder utilizing of
time by student.
 5- Providing recommendations that
contribute to fix the undesired
behaviors among the students,
and its effects of time
management.
Hypotheses
The main hypotheses of the study were:
“There is statistically significant
relationship between the element of the
student's management of time in terms of
planning and organization, and academic
achievement. This assumption has two
minor sun-hypothesis as follows:
1. First minor hypothesis: there
is a low degree of time
employment and avoiding
wasting it.
2. Second minor hypothesis:
there is statistically
significant relationship
between the personal variable
of the student (specialization,
place residence, educational
level).
Brief Definition
 Time management: the process
of time planning and organizing
implemented by student to
complete the activity and home
work through setting their
priorities and scheduling their
time in order to achieve goal
related to attending or after study
in the University.
 Academic achievement: The
knowledge acquired by the
student during study at the
university including activities,
home works, grades, etc.
8
Method of the study
Empirical methods were implemented to
this study, while a qualitative
implemented by revising related
literatures which were discussed in the
theoretical framework, and a quantitative
method used statistics that appeared after
collecting data from respondents
depending on a special questionnaire
designed for the research field, and the
data were analyzed using Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
Resources of gathering data
The study depends on many resources as
nooks and resources, previous researches
and studies related to the research topic,
formal reports. While the initial
resources were the questionnaire which
has designed for the study.
Sample of Study
The study sample was selected randomly
and consists of NBU students in Saudi
Arabia- Arar. Where (550) respondents
provide answers, and after the first
filtering step, the study found that (480)
respondent completed the questionnaire.
Study founded in statistical data, the
distribution of the members who
participated as a respondents in the
random sample of the study according
personal and occupational variables,
showed that: For educational level
variable, the highest category (third year)
the percentage is(30.5%), but the lowest
category (five year & more) with
percentage of (10.7%). For specialization
variable, the highest category
(humanistic) with percentage of (50.2%),
and the lowest category (scientific) by
percentage of (49.8%). While for place
of residence variable, the highest
category (city) by percentage of (53.0%),
and the lowest category (scientific) of
percentage (7.4%).
Reliability of study tool
In order to check the reliability of the
tool of the student, it was implemented
twice with an interval of two weeks on a
pilot sample consisting of (40) students
at NBU, out of the sample of the study.
Pearson correlation coefficient
calculated in order to derive the
reliability of the tool. As shown in in
statistics that: The highest Cronbach
alpha value reached (0.80) for domain
(1) of "planning and organization", and
the lowest alpha value was (0.79) for
domain (2) of "earnings management",
but the total alpha values of "study tool"
reached (0.80) this indicates to accept
reliability. The highest stability reloads
coefficient value reached (0.85) for
domain (1) of "planning and
organization", and the lowest stability
reloads coefficient value was (0.83) for
domain (2) of "earnings management",
but the total alpha values of "study tool"
reached (0.86) and this indicates to
accept reliability.
Correcting the scale
The study employed likert scale of
attitudes on the sample in terms of their
management, strongly disagree was
assigned (1) disagree; (2) neutral; (3)
agree through the sign (x) in front of the
response; which represents their
answers, the following classifications of
the means was employed: a) from 1-
1.73: disagree, b) from 1.74-2.33 natural,
d) from 2.34-3.00: agree.
9
Statistical Processing
In order to answer the questions of the
study, the following statistical processes
were carried out: i) The frequencies and
percentages of the personal and
occupational variables, ii) Internal
consistency coefficient (Cronbach
Alpha ) for all the dimensions of the
study and person correlation coefficient
for reliability. iii) Means and standard
deviation of the responses of the sample
of the study for all the items of the tool
and the tool as a whole. iv) Multiple
Regression Analysis.
Statistical Analysis
This chapter presents the findings of the
study which aims to know the role of
time management and its impact on the
academic achievement of the students at
NBU in the, also, this chapter includes
descriptive statistics for participants’
answers on questionnaire items and
hypothesis testing.
- Means and standard deviation for
"planning and organization" domain
of the sample of (n= 480), showed the
mean for the dimension of "planning
and organization" as a whole were
(1.98), with the degree of natural.
- Means and standard deviation for
"employing time and not washing it"
domain of the sample of (n= 480),
analysis showed that all the items
were not realized , the most important
item which states that "I don’t waste
my time in worthless personal phone
calls" with a mean of (1.37), with a
degree of Not Realized.
Hypothesis testing
The main hypothesis of the study is
"There is statistically significant -
relationship between the element of the
student's management of time in terms of
planning and organization, and academic
achievement". Study detected the
relation between the elements of time
management in terms of planning and
organization in one hand and their effect
on academic achievement with the other
hand using (Multiple Regression)
analysis. The test showed that there is no
statistically significant relationship at
significant level (α≤0.05) between the
elements of time management in terms
of planning and organization in one hand
and students’ academic achievement on
the other hand, where "f" value reached
(1.216) by statistically significant
(0.297). (R) Value reached (0.045), and
(R2) value reached (0.003). Therefore
we reject the main hypothesis and accept
the alternative hypothesis to read as
follows:
“There is no a statistically significant
relationship between the elements of
time management by the student in
terms of planning and organization in
one hand, and their academic
achievement on the other hand”.
- First: minor hypothesis: there is a
low degree of time employment and
avoiding wasting it. In order to test
this hypothesis, and with reference to
the statistical analysis, all the means
were in the scope of "Not realized",
this shows the presence of allow level
of the degree of the student's
employment of his time and avoiding
00
wasting it, so, this hypothesis is
accepted.
Second: minor hypothesis: there is
statistically significant relationship
between the personal variable of the
student (specialization, place
residence, educational level), and too
test this hypothesis and to detect the
relationship between the elements of
time management by the student's
personal variables (the specialization,
place of residence in types "city,
village, migration", and the
educational level), and student’s
academic achievement. After
(Multiple Regression) test analysis
used, the study found that there is no
any statistically significant
relationship at significant were found
in the level with (α≤0.05) between the
elements of tim management, by the
student's personal variables (the
specialization, place of residence with
the type of "city, village, migration",
and the educational level), and the
student's academic achievement.
Where "f" value reached (0.527) by
statistically significant (0.664). (R)
value reached (0.043), and (R2) value
reached (0.002). therefore we reject
the second minor hypothesis and
accept the alternative hypothesis to
read as follows:
“There is no a statistically significant
relationship between the student's
personal variables (the specialization
, place of residence "city, village,
migration"; and the educational
level ) and the student's academic
achievement”.
Results
As viewed above its clear that results of
statistical analysis summarized the
following two main results:
 Student do not plan and employ
their time acceptably.
time , which may be possible
through short training courses
involving large members of students
and giving certificates in order to
motive their attendance .

 That there is no relationship

between the academic
achievement and time
management, and that the level of
time management among the
student is low and the level of
academic achievement is a weak.

Recommendations:
1 NBU should build-up a cohesive
strategy to develop student's
perception of time importance and
the benefits of utilizing it fruitfully.
2 Also it should develop a long-run
plan to evolve students through
training courses to enrich leisure
with beneficiary programs that
positively effects academic
achievement.
3 NBU must focus on activating the
role of academic supervision in
faculties.
4 NBU decision makers ought to adopt
a strong strategy which concerns the
development of student's attitudes to
help them in good employment of
time and developing their abilities at
employing and organizing time.
5 Developing a plan for training
students on organizing and managing

00
References

Abawi, Zaid Munir. Time Management. Amman: Dar Konoz Al Ma'refa, 2006.
Abu Sheikha, Nader. Introduction to time management. Vol. I. Amman: Dar Al-Masira
for publishing, 2009.
Alian, Rebhi Mustafa. The basics of time management for the job and public life.
Amman: Dar Jareer for Publishing, 2011.

Al-lmuzayan, Sulaiman. "The effectiveness of time management among the students of

the Islamic University and its relation to the academic achievement in light of
some variables." The Journal of the Islamic University of the Educational and
Psychological Studies, January 2012, 20 ed.: 369 – 404.
Alwan, Qasim Naief, and Najwa Ramadan Ahmid. Time management: Concepts-
Operations and Applications. Amman: Dar Al-Thaqafa for Publication, 2009.
Freihat, Amar, Omar Rababah, and Hamid Daoum. "The degree of the effectiveness of
time management for the female students of the Faculty of Ajloun and its
relation to the academic achievement." Journal of the Islamic University of
Gaza, 2010, 2 ed.
Jianzhong, Xu, Yuan Ruiping, Xu Brian, and Xu Melinda. "Modeling students' time
management in math homework." Learning and Individual Differences, August
2014, 34 ed.: 33-42.
Khalifah, Ghazi. "The Impact of some family changes on the school time management
habits for the first secondary grade students in Madaba, Jordan." ournal of
Educational and Psychological Science, June 2012, 2 ed.
Khazaaleh, Mohammed, and Ahmad Al-Qawasmeh. "The Investment of leisure time
among the students of the King Faisal University at Saudi Arabia." 2012: 261-
208.
Mirzaei, Tayebeh, Fatemeh Oskouie, and Forough Rafii. "Nursing students’ time
management, reducing stress and gaining satisfaction: a grounded theory study."
(Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd) 2012: 46–51.