1. Introduction

The present study attempts to examine time management and punctuality issues among students at the secondary school in Malaysia. Time management and punctuality among students are the important issues that draw the attention of many researchers as good time management is essential to success for students at school. In general, time management can be described as someone’s control over time. It can also be considered as the process in which an individual effectively conducts the tasks and having control over the time and the content of what he/she does[1-2]. Time management can be characterized as habit development through determination and practice[3]. In western culture, time management is used as a competitive tool by both individuals and organizations[4]

However, although good time management is essential in achieving success but the fact that lack of time is a common problem among students when it is not used in proper manners. Moreover, self discipline is also important on how some manages their time. Therefore, it can said that time management is the foundation of discipline for students that largely determined quality of their learning. The study focuses on the factors that influence students to be involved in punctuality and time management issues. Supportive school environment especially teachers may play an important role in improving punctuality and time management skills for student’s academic success. Time management issue is also influenced by perception and behaviors on how individuals perceive and think about managing their time[4]. Behavioral research also attempts to predict what individuals might do their motives for thinking about time in a certain way and their related behavior[4-5].

Moreover, teachers may play an important for improving time management and punctuality issues among students. It is believed that if teachers do not manage time properly during the process of teaching in the classroom, it may interfere with the students’ learning. Therefore, time management among teachers in teaching and learning process is also necessary to improve student’s time management and punctuality issues. A good time planning is required for each teacher in the process of teaching in order to create systematic teaching environments that attract students following the punctuality in their learning. School discipline such as formulating appropriate rules and regulations are also necessary in order to improve student’s time management and punctuality issues. If organization of the school is not systematic in practicing the rules on discipline matters, it might be an impact on student behaviour related to punctuality and time management issues. In a study, Debra Mayes Pane[6] said that classroom discipline is a major concern of teachers. The author further elaborated that a conventional view of learning is so deeply interrelated with schooling in culture with the view of discipline, when students are disproportionately failed and excluded by the mainstream educational system.

Figure 1. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan, Kedah

However, there is another factor that influences time management issue among students is parent’s negative attitudes towards the issues. Although previous studies are more focused on school environment, but parent’s attitudes at home should also be considered. This is because every disciplinary problem that appears might be influenced by negative attitudes of parents. Some studies show that positive parenting attitude is vital in providing external emotional regulation for the child[7-8]. Based on these circumstances, Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan has been selected as study area which is located in rural areas. The general objective of the study is to examine time management problems among students at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Siong, Baling Kedah. The study area has been shown in Figure 1. The specific objectives are; (a) to examine time management and punctuality problems among students at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Siong, Baling Kedah. (b) to identify the factors that influence time management and time management problems among students in this school. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Siong is one of the schools in Baling district. The study selected a total of 70 people consisting of students in Form 4 and Form 2. Data has been collected through questionnaires and observation. Questionnaires were distributed to the respondents while observations were made with students in their classroom.

2. Time Management Issues among Students

The purpose of this section is to examine time management issues among students and to understand the conditions in which students should be regular in attending class, assemblies and outdoor activities. There is a relation between good attendance and punctuality and student success. Students, therefore, should have a high level of attendance in order to achieve the maximum level of academic achievement. The study attempts to examine the level of student’s attendance on some aspects which are related to time management and punctuality issues.

Table 1. Examining Time Management and Punctuality Issues among Students

Table 1 shows there are four types of time management and punctuality issues such as coming late to class, coming late to weekly assembly, late entrance into class after the break and coming late to outdoor activities /co-curriculum. The results show that the highest (42.85 percent) numbers of respondents are late to attend the class after the break. Students tend to be late to enter the class due to insufficient break time. Students said that they were late in entering the class after break because the break time was not enough for them. Some respondents considered of having difficulties of transportation as one of the reason of being late in attending classes. Some respondents (21.42 percent) tend to have such of type of difficulties in attending outdoor activities on time. There are also few students (15.71 percent) who were becoming late for weekly assemblies. However, it is noted that constant lateness to classes and weekly assemblies were disruptive to the teaching and learning activities of students in school.

There are small numbers of students do not agree that coming late to school is punctuality problem that relates to time management problem issues because they do not make it intentionally. They are having various types of difficulties especially transportation problem that contribute to their lateness in school. This condition may be associated with the distance from home to school. Most students live far away from school that contributes to punctuality as well as time management problem among them. Besides, when students are late to school, it contributes to other kinds of punctuality problems such as lateness to the assembly and outdoor activities. Although school attendance is the important factor for student success, these types of disciplinary problems are common in school settings.

However, it is noted that every offense made by the students would be punished which might reduce such types of cases happening to school settings. For example, there is a case happened in Terengganu is one of the state in Malaysia which has been reported by the newspaper namely “The Harian Metro” dated on 24^th April 2010. This newspaper reported that five girls in Terengganu were expelled from school as a result of disciplinary problem such lateness of coming to school. From this case, it can be noted that the issue has not been taken lightly as it involves serious penalties. However, time management problem among students is a serious discipline problem that also should be given attention by teachers and parents. This problem needs to be addressed in earnest in the effort to reduce time management as well as punctuality problems among younger generation. It is necessary as imperfect time management would lead many problems that may affect students' learning achievement.

3. Factors Influence Student’s Involvement in Time Management and Punctuality Problems

This section examines factors that influence student’s involvement in time management problem. The results are presented in Table 2. There are eight statements have been formulated to determine the factors that influence student’s involvement in time management and punctuality issues. In the first statement, most of respondents (50.0 & 24.28 percent agree and strongly agree) stated that peer influence is one of the reasons that influence them coming late to class. Few respondents (12.85 and 2.85 percent) disagree and strongly disagree that peer influence contribute to punctuality as well as time management problem respectively as these types of friends help them to manage their time properly. Students as the teenagers are easily influenced by the behavior of peers[9]. However, majority of respondents have given positive responses on the statement that unattractive class lectures are also the factors that influence them to be late in class after the break.

A total of 17.14 percent of respondents agree and 8.57 percent of them strongly agree that unattractive class lecture is one of the reasons for time management problem while a small numbers of respondent (21.43 & and 11.42 percent, Mean= 2.90) strongly disagree on the same statement. Previous research supported that unattractive lectures may lead punctuality and time management problem among students[10].

Table 2. Measuring Factors that Influence to Involve Students in Time Management Problems through Likert Scale

In another statement, a total of 12.85 percent of respondents strongly agree that they came late to assembly as it takes longer time. Some respondents stated that a longer assembly period is one kind of factor that influences to be involved in punctuality and time management problems. In the next statement, a total of 21.43 percent agree and 11.43 percent of them strongly agree that they have time management problem due to difficulty to get transportation for coming late to school followed by 24.28 percent disagree and 14.28 percent of respondents strongly disagree on this statement respectively. This results show that some respondents are having disciplinary problem due to the difficulty of getting bus.

There are also other factors that contribute to student’ time management and punctuality issues especially teacher’s lateness in starting class which can be noticed in the next statement. Most of respondents (25.71 and 15.71 percent Mean=2.57) disagree and strongly disagree that teachers’ late starting of class influence them to be involved in time management problem. When teacher comes late to class in the first period and after break it might have negative impact on student behaviors related to their lateness in class. In general, when teachers are late in the class, it may interference with teaching as students feel bored due to be waited for the longer time[11].

Student’s time management and punctuality problems are also related to parent’s attitudes towards the issues. Parents would pay attention to reduce disciplinary and time management issue while children are at home. Most of respondents in this research (35.71; Mean = 2.30) percent of respondents strongly disagree that time management issues are ignored by their parents at home. Nevertheless 10.00 percent agree and 7.14 percent of them strongly agree that parents ignore time management and punctuality that affect on their punctuality in attending class respectively. Meanwhile, only few respondents disagree in the statement that their parents are concerned about punctuality and time management issues at home but the children do not follow the guidance of their parents while they are in school.

In the next statement, a total of 31.43 percent of respondents agree that they always come late to class after break because they had inadequate rest periods. On the other hand, some respondents (11.24 percent) strongly disagree they always come late to class after the break as the same reason. However, it is noted that these problems occur as most students do not use the rest time properly. During data collection, it has been noted that there are many factors that influence time management problems among students. These factors can be divided into three levels namely, personal behavioral, school and parents factors. Based on personal observations made by the researchers, it can be said that punctuality and imperfect time management occur among students due to their own attitudes when they are not conscious about the importance of their time by influencing themselves with peers and others. During observation, it is also noted that some respondents agreed on the statement “time management problem occur due to my own attitude”.

Student’s awareness on time management is important for their academic achievement. If students are able to organize their time properly, it might possible to achieve the academic achievement[12].

Punctuality and time management problems among students might be occurred when students do not follow school rule made by school which can be considered as one kind of violation is associated with school environment. In some situations, disciplinary problem also occur when students hide themselves in building, parks and stores where they cannot be monitored. This is one of the ways in which they like to be absent from classes and school assemblies. In addition, the friends play an important role is for student’s lateness to co-curricular activities. Friends’ role is very important in shaping an individual's personality. Friends should are chosen on the basis of existing similarities in behavior and attitudes, but also seem to foster similarity once friendships have been established[13]. Therefore, it can be said that teens always like to follow friend’s behaviors. In some cases, it might be considered as the negative influence if they do not choose the right person.

As discussed elsewhere, the role of teachers in schools may play an important role in discipline and time management issues in school that can be noticed during interview. One respondent said “I don’t like coming to school because some teacher don’t like me”. Based on the statement, it can be said that punctuality problems among students also can be happen when teachers do not like them. However, it was also noted that although the weekly gathering is a compulsory, therefore, it may not encouraging to make longer the assembly as students might feel uncomfortable when they need to stand for longer time. This situation may influence students to violet disciplinary issues in school. On the other hand, the exhausted late assemblies disrupt teaching and learning process.

4. Conclusions

The research was conducted to examine punctuality and time management issues among students Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Siong. The results show that time management and punctuality issues are important issues that often happen among students in school. From the findings, it can be said that punctuality and time management problems among students in this school occurred related to the lateness to entering classroom. Most of respondents agreed that they were late in attending class because of various reasons. They were mostly influenced by their own behaviors, peer’s influence, parents’ ignorance and teacher’s unattractive class lectures to conduct such types of punctuality and time management problems. One of the main factors that cause time management and punctuality problems among students is their own personal attitudes and behavior. The study also showed that personal factor is the largest contributor to time management problem among students. Moreover, time management problem tend to have negative impact on student’s academic achievement. Students’ attendance is an important aspect in the process of learning as persistent lateness to classes is disruptive to the teaching and learning activities of all school students. Given priority on these aspects, it is necessary to take steps to improve the condition of time management and punctuality problems among students, parents and teachers may play an important role to reduce such types of problems that currently happening in school. Parents are the most closest with their children in the home. When parents were ignoring time management issues at home, it was difficult for students to manage their time properly. Therefore, primary teaching could be given at home that may bring positive impact on student’s punctuality and time management issues. The article a noted that teacher’s lateness to school influence on student’s punctuality and time management issues. Moreover, it was also noted that teacher’s unfriendly attitudes contribute to student’s lateness in school. Overall, it can be concluded that parents, teachers and school administration would play an important role in reducing time management and punctuality problems in attending classes and assemblies among students that contribute to the process of their effective learning.