Holistic Study Habits in Higher Education: A Correlational Investigation

Abstract

The presented study examined holistic study habits as an interlinked system based on four areas: time management and routine, focus and distraction control, internet and technology use, and quality of studying. This study covered students enrolled in HEC-recognized general universities in Karachi, Sindh. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional correlational design was used. The target population included students from three public and three private universities. The sample size was calculated using Cochran's formula at 95% confidence and a 5% margin of error, which yielded a minimum requirement of 384, while 400 students participated: 200 from public and 200 from private institutions, selected through multistage stratified random sampling with stratification by institution type, random selection of universities and departments through the lottery method, and simple random sampling using random numbers generated in Microsoft Excel. The instrument was adapted from Palsane and Sharma (1989), Young (1998), Solomon and Rothblum (1984), and Rosen et al. (2013) and contextualized for Pakistani undergraduates. Face validity was ensured through review by three subject matter experts and pilot testing, content validity through expert panel review with I-CVI above .80 and S-CVI/Ave within acceptable range, and internal consistency was satisfactory with Cronbach's alpha .84. Data were collected via Google Forms within four weeks with digital informed consent and assurance of confidentiality, without formal permission from university administrations, and analyzed in IBM SPSS Statistics version 26 using Pearson product moment correlation at p < .05. Results revealed strong, positive and significant intercorrelations with large effect sizes, with focus and distraction control emerging as the most central dimension, correlating with internet and technology integration (r = .80, p < .001), study quality (r = .78, p < .001) and time management (r = .74, p < .001), while time management correlated with study quality (r = .76, p < .001) and technology integration (r = .70, p < .001), and technology integration correlated with study quality (r = .74, p < .001). The results demonstrate that comprehensive, integrated programs for distraction control and proper use of technology must be combined in time management workshops. The current study is limited to six general universities in Karachi, and data were collected online through self-report, which limits generalizability and introduces social desirability bias. Future research may adopt longitudinal and experimental designs with mixed-methods approaches. Future studies may expand the scope to diverse regions, disciplines, genders, and sectors, and developing  and testing integrated intervention programs will further strengthen the evidence base.