Time management and academic procrastination in Vietnamese higher education: parallel mediation by academic motivation and self-regulation

Purpose Despite growing evidence on the associations among time management, self-regulation, academic motivation, and academic procrastination, limited research has examined these variables within an integrated framework, particularly in non-Western contexts such as Vietnam. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Regulated Learning Theory, this study aimed to examine the parallel mediating roles of self-regulation and academic motivation in the association between time management and academic procrastination among Vietnamese university students. Design/methodology/approach A total of 1,091 students (77.2% female) voluntarily completed measures assessing self-regulation, academic motivation, time management, and academic procrastination. Using a cross-sectional design, data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling with SmartPLS 3.9, which was selected due to its suitability for testing complex mediation models involving multiple latent constructs, and indirect effects were tested using bootstrapping procedures. Findings The findings indicated that both self-regulation (β = −0.097, p < 0.01, 95% CI = [−0.146, −0.031]) and academic motivation (β = −0.111, p < 0.01, 95% CI = [−0.159, −0.062]) significantly and partially mediated the relationship between time management and academic procrastination as parallel mediators. Originality/value By simultaneously testing self-regulation and academic motivation as parallel mediators rather than examining them in isolation, this study provides insight into their relative roles in linking time management to academic procrastination in the Vietnamese higher education context, while providing evidence based on associations rather than causal inferences.