EFFECTS OF REALITY AND RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPIES IN IMPROVING REGULAR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BEHAVIOUR AMONG TRUANTS' SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN AJEGUNLE, LAGOS STATE

Abstract

This study investigated effects of reality and rational emotive behaviour therapies in improving regular school attendance behaviour among truants' secondary school students in Ajegunle, Lagos State, while considering the moderating effect of age and gender. The study adopted a pre-test, post-test control group quasi experimental design with 3x2x2 factorial matrix. The design is made of three rows representing the two treatment techniques, reality therapy and rational emotive behaviour therapy and the Control Group (non-treatment group). The two treatment groups were exposed to eight-weeks training in Emotional Intelligence and Cognitive Restructuring Training, while participants in the control group received no training. The sample for the study comprised of sixty secondary school students (male and female) who are truants and have consistently absented from school 15 times in each term (first and second term) without permission as recorded in their school attendance register. Participants were purposively selected based on their absenting record for two terms. One validated instrument: Regular School Attendance. Questionnaire (a= 0.82) was used. Three hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data was analysed using Analysis of Covariance. There was significant main effect of treatment in the pre-post school attendance behaviour scores among secondary school truants' students in the experimental and control groups (F (3,56) = 5.538, P < .05). Also, there was significant moderating main effect of age in the pre-post regular school attendance behaviour scores among secondary school truants' students between older and younger students (F (2,57) = 8.923, P < .05). Likewise, there was significant moderating main effect of gender in the pre-post regular school attendance behaviour scores of truants' secondary school students (F (2,57) = 2.244, P < .05). School counselling psychologists could adopt the two interventions to manage challenges of truancy among secondary school students.