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Результаты мониторинга учебного и свободного времени школьников и их связь с успеваемостью и благополучием
The distribution of academic and free time is a key factor in adolescent development; however, most studies examine these domains separately, overlooking their combined influence. The present study aims to identify profiles of extracurricular academic and free time among Russian students in Grades 5–8 and to determine how these profiles are associated with academic achievement and psychological well-being, taking socio-demographic characteristics into account.
The study draws on survey data from 2,944 adolescents. Using median splits for academic and free time, we identified four temporal profiles: high academic-high free time, high academic-low free time, low academic-high free time, and low academic-low free time. Multiple regression models were used to examine associations between these profiles, grade point average, and well-being, controlling for gender, socioeconomic status, family structure, locality, and number of siblings.
The results show that academic achievement depends on the balance between academic and free time rather than on their absolute levels. Adolescents with high academic and low free time demonstrate the highest grades, whereas those with low academic and high free time show the lowest achievement. At the same time, temporal profiles are not associated with psychological well-being, which is primarily shaped by socio-demographic conditions.
These findings underscore the importance of conceptualizing time as an integrated developmental resource and demonstrate that it is the configuration of academic and free activities — rather than their isolated amounts — that is linked to adolescents’ educational outcomes.