Why do teachers procrastinate? The role of fear of negative evaluation and intolerance of uncertainty

Abstract

Academic procrastination has increasingly been recognized as a significant source of stress and professional dysfunction among teachers. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying this behavior are not yet fully understood. This study aimed to examine the associations among academic procrastination, intolerance of uncertainty, and fear of negative evaluation in a sample of secondary school teachers, with particular emphasis on the indirect role of fear of negative evaluation in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and academic procrastination. These findings support the relevance of fear of negative evaluation as a key mechanism associated with procrastination and highlight the importance of targeting these processes in interventions aimed at reducing avoidance-related behaviors and promoting teachers’ wellbeing.