Effect of Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) on the self-esteem of probating students

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of Rational-Emotive Therapy on the Self-Esteem of Probating Students. The rationale behind this study was to develop an effective means of providing assistance to students with low self-esteem. The target population for this study was the probating students of the Federal College of education, Yola. The sample was drawn from the NCE II probating students’ population 2006/2007 session, numbering 183 (79 males and 104 females). Stratified random sampling technique was used in sampling. The design of the study was the randomized control group pretest-posttest design. The study had two groups (an experimental and a control) made up of twenty students each (10 males and 10 females). Rational-Emotive Therapy was applied to each group, while a teaching on sexuality education was administered to the control group. The treatment lasted for ten weeks of one hour session each. A self-esteem questionnaire was administered to both groups before and after the treatment. The data collected were analyzed using t-test for both paired observation and independent observation. The results revealed that
Rational-Emotive Therapy has significant effect on the self-esteem of the probating students. It also indicated that there was significant gender difference in self-esteem due to Rational-Emotive Therapy. The study indicated that low self-esteem was associated with poor academic performance. This condition can be improved by administering Rational-Emotive Therapy.