Does slow and steady win the race? The relationship between adult EFL learners’ time-related task strategies and achievement

Language Learning Journal. 2026. Vol. 54. No. 5. P. 793–804.

K. Adamovich, A. Getman, A. Kapuza, A. Fayzullina

Despite the known importance of out-of-class assignments in academic success, research on how adult students engage with tasks in online learning is limited. Students use various time-related engagement strategies, from completing assignments in advance to delaying them until the last minute. Research is unclear about what strategies are more beneficial in terms of academic achievement. In this study, we examine task engagement strategies of 70,527 learners and their relationship with academic achievement. We use LMS data from an online English language learning platform. We identified three distinct task engagement strategies, including ‘Last minute Larry’, ‘Slow and steady’, and ‘Early bird’ students. While ‘Early birds’ complete the most tasks, their academic achievement is comparable to ‘Last minute Larrys’. ‘Slow and steady’ students are the most academically successful. Our study contributes to the discussion on time-related task strategies, shedding light on the latent efficacy of the slow pace of task completion.

Keywords: time management, online learning, EFL, achievement, task engagement

Publication based on the results of: Using digital traces to study learners' behavioral strategies (2025)