Effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behavior and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies in Reducing Examination Anxiety Among Senior Secondary School Students in Edo State
CHAPTER ONE
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) in reducing examination anxiety among secondary school students in Edo State.
Specifically, the purpose of the study is
- determine the effectiveness of rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) as a method for reducing examination anxiety among secondary school students;
- determine the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), as a treatment measure in reducing examination anxiety among secondary school students;
- compare the effectiveness of rational emotive behaviour therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy in reducing examination anxiety among secondary school students;
- determine the interactive effects of gender and age on REBT treatment therapy; and to
- determine the interactive effects of gender and age on CBT treatment therapy.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter centres on the review of related literature on effectiveness of rational emotive behaviour therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy in reducing examination anxiety among secondary school students. The review of literature is carried out under the following subheadings:
Concepts:
- Concept of Examination Anxiety
- Concept of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy
- Concept of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Relevance of REBT and CBT concepts to the study
Empirical Reviews on:
- Effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and examination anxiety.
- Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and examination anxiety
- Gender and Effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)
- Gender and Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Age and Effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)
- Age and Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Summary of Literature Review
Concept of Examination Anxiety
To examine the concept of examination anxiety in the right perspectives a brief review of the concept of examination becomes necessary. According to Alli (2006) examinees and the examiners view examination or any form of tests as an anxiety provoking process. Students and parents alike fear and are always tensed because examination results affect the plan for student’s career. Thus, the role of testing and examination include: to award certificates, to give progress reports to parents on their wards’ intellectual abilities, to promote students to new classes or to seek admission into higher institutions of learning, to identify and adjudge those suitable for employment and to monitor, govern and socialize individuals into a progressive and highly knowledgeable society. By passing an examination, a student obtains and confirms an identity, a notion of who and what they are. Success in the form of certificate via examination has become an important tool in the school system. This underscores the reason why examination is an inducer for anxiety.
Meaning of Anxiety: When one hears the term anxiety, they might think of an uneasy feeling of nervousness that occurs when life becomes overly stressful. Another individual might imagine the fear-filled feeling before giving a speech in front of a group of people.
Anxiety and fear can truly refer to a variety of feelings that may occur in quite different settings. A student with an excessive fear of spiders (specific phobia) might behave very differently than a student with anxiety for examination. This is because anxiety has a number of different definitions. From agoraphobia to posttraumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, there are many types of anxiety within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). It should be noted as well that individuals may display different forms of anxiety concurrently; comorbidity is not rare (Last, Perrin, Hersen & Kazadin 1992; Curry & Murphy, 1995).
CHAPTER THREE
METHODS OF STUDY
This chapter focuses on the methods of study. It addresses the research, design, population of the study, sample and sampling techniques. It also describes the instrument for data collection, validity of the instrument, reliability of the instrument, control of extraneous variables, method of data collection, method of data analysis and ethical consideration.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
This chapter dealt with presentation of results and discussions of findings
The data presented here were obtained from 239 students from the three senior secondary schools. The presentation of the data comprised of the results obtained from the statistical test of research questions and formulated hypotheses for the study.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary, conclusion and recommendations for the study.
Summary of the Study
The main purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in reducing examination anxiety among senior secondary school students in Edo State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study was designed to determine the effectiveness of REBT as a method for reducing examination anxiety among senior secondary school students; to determine the effectiveness of CBT as a treatment measure in reducing examination anxiety among senior secondary school students; and to determine also if gender and age had any interaction effect on REBT and CBT.
The statement of the problem stemmed from the fact that examination anxiety is an overwhelming problem for many students, its effects diminish test performance, lower self-confidence, increased negative self-talk and can cause physiological disturbances.
Contributions to Knowledge
The study has contributed to knowledge in the following areas:
- that REBT is effective in the management of examination anxiety;
- that CBT is effective in the management of examination anxiety; and
- it has provided a conceptual framework for the administration of REBT and CBT therapies in reducing examination anxiety among secondary school students.
Suggestions for Further Studies
Future studies on the effectiveness of counselling therapies must divert from the current research in a number of ways:
- Future research efforts should focus on students in other states of the federation as the current research focused only on one state, Edo State.
- For a better representation of the student population, it is suggested that students in primary, junior secondary schools and universities and private schools be the focus for future studies since the present study focused only on SS1 and SS2 students in public school in Edo State.
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