EFFECT OF RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY ON REDUCING TEST AMONG UNDERACHIEVERS IN SCHOOL IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The study determined the effect of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) on reducing test anxiety among underachievers in senior secondary schools in Port Harcourt metropolis, in Rivers State, Nigeria. Test anxiety is the dependent variable while REBT which was used on the experimental group is the independent variable. One research question and one null hypothesis guided the study. A sample of 52 SS1 test-anxious underachieving students drawn from a population of 16,864 SS1 students in Port Harcourt metropolis using a non-probability purposive sampling technique was used. Three instruments were used for the study: Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) result, Standard progressive Matrices (SPM) and Test Anxiety Scale (TAS). Data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, paired t-test. Results of the study indicated that REBT was effective on reducing the test anxiety of underachievers, which was significant at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations were made including that test-anxious underachieving students should be encouraged to receive psychotherapeutic intervention such as REBT and that the government should encourage counselors by providing facilities for counselor’s training.