Purpose – Aassignments have been linked with various benefits, including a higher quality of learning and academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between assignment completion and academic achievement in higher education. Specifically, it investigated the impact of instructor feedback and three constructs of self-regulation (self-efficacy, time management, and help-seeking) on assignment completion (time spent on assignments and number of assignments completed) and academic achievement. Methodology – The study employed a correlational research design and a self-report survey. Data was collected from 1,106 undergraduate students in six universities in Thailand through a convenience sampling approach. Structural equation modelling was used to establish the strength of the relationships among the constructs of the model. Findings – The number of assignments completed was found to have a strong association with academic achievement. Time management was the strongest predictor of the number of assignments completed as well as time spent on assignments. Time management was also the mediator between self-efficacy and the number of assignments completed. However, help-seeking was negatively associated with both the number of assignments completed and academic achievement. Significance – These results have educational implications, and should be helpful for instructors, instructional designers and educators who may use the information to offer undergraduate students appropriate learning tools, strategies and environments for supporting assignment completion and academic achievement. Keywords: Academic achievement, assignment completion, help-seeking, Thai higher education, time management, self-efficacy.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to simultaneously investigate a variety of factors related to assignment completion (AC) (i.e. task orientation, cooperation, teacher feedback, time management and time spent on AC).Design/methodology/approachThe study relied on a self-report survey to assess students' perceptions in relation to six variables. Participants included 1,106 undergraduate students from six public Thai universities. Analysis involved structural equation modeling.FindingsThis study provided new results related to task orientation as the strongest predictor of AC and time management. Cooperation and feedback improved AC with time management as an intervening variable. Time management and feedback did not predict time spent on AC.Research limitations/implicationsFuture studies might explore the potential range of assignments that, for example, count for a higher portion of the grade versus those that are less or unimportant in terms of the course. Future studies might also look at the role of group assignments in relation to completion. Semi-structured interviews or observations might provide insights into how students manage their time and why task orientation has the most effect on AC. Future research might investigate more specifically at what point time management does or does not affect completion. In general, given the growth of online learning and contexts in which students may be increasingly called on to complete assignments independently, factors such as those investigated in this study will require more attention in varying countries and contexts, generically and for individual subjects.Practical implicationsInstructional designers and instructors can promote task orientation through reliance on strategic scaffolding. For designing a task-oriented environment, instructors need to offer challenging assignments. Instructors should also assign work that encourages motivation, effort and achievement. To ensure that cooperative learning positively affects time management, instructors and designers can allot specific in-class time for completion of tasks, reliance on flipped classroom activities and student conversations regarding time restrictions and time-management skills. Instructors can be supported to help them provide appropriate types of feedback, as well as ideas for implementing the feedback in practice.Originality/valueLittle research has been conducted on AC in higher education. Those studies that have been conducted have focused on the elementary and secondary levels. Furthermore, studies have not always taken into account the complex relationships between different factors that can potentially influence AC.

Academic achievement varies according to the perception of learning environments (LE). Th e current study aimed to investigate how the perception of LE diff ers according to level of academic achievement. 1,106 Th ai undergraduate students replied to a survey. Analyzing the data with One-way analysis of variance diff erences were found in perception of the LE in terms of task orientation and instructor feedback. Average-achieving students perceived task orientation higher than high and low-achieving students. High-achieving students perceived instructor feedback the most. Th is study provides insights into each type of LE applied in the classroom and suggests how individual academic achievers can be suitably enhanced.

In order to effectively enhance students' learning, doing assignments is an accepted practice of improving content knowledge and self-regulated skills. However, individual differences may impact students' assignment behaviors. This study examined the relationship between specific assignment variables (i.e. amount of assignment completed, time spent on assignment), gender and grade level. The participants were 786 undergraduate students from five universities in Thailand. A two-way analysis of variance showed that differences of gender and year levels significantly affected the amount of assignments completed and time spent on assignments. The female students completed significantly more assignments and had more time spent on assignment than the male students. For year level differences, freshman complete more amount of assignments than other students (sophomore, junior and senior). On the other hand, junior and senior students spent more time on assignments than sophomores. Using a hierarchical regression analysis, gender and year levels were significantly associated with academic achievement. Moreover, the results revealed that the number of assignments completed was a strongest predictor on academic achievement and had positive associations with academic achievement after controlling gender and year level variables. Our findings then suggest there are differences between gender and undergraduate year levels in terms of assignment completion which may then affect students' learning outcome.