The effect of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) on poor study habits among secondary school students in Calabar Municipality

Abstract

The rate of failure of secondary school students in public examinations such as West African Examination Council (WAEC) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations and the seemingly increasing rate of examination malpractice in schools, have been a growing cause for concern among stakeholders in the educational system in Nigeria. Research has identified Poor study habits as one of the key factors responsible for this high rate of failure and widespread examination malpractice among students. REBT is a cognitive behavior therapy that deals with modifying maladjusted behavior that has to do with a faulty belief system. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of REBT on poor study habit of senior secondary School students in Calabar municipality. The research design employed in this study was the Pretest Posttest Control Group Experimental design. One hypothesis was formulated for this study and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Three research questions were asked to guide this study. 80 senior secondary school students were purposively sampled for this study. Data was collected using the Students Study Habits Questionnaire (SSHQ) and Oral interview of participants. Data generated from the study was analyzed using the Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA) statistical procedure. Results revealed a positive impact of REBT on poor study habits. Recommendations were made based on the findings for this study.