Effects of Assertiveness Training and Self-Reinforcement on Poor Study Behaviour Among Secondary School Students in Anambra State.

Abstract

This study focuses on the effects of assertiveness training and self-reinforcement on poor study behaviour among secondary school students in Anambra State. Three research questions guided the study and three null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study employed quasi-experimental design, specifically, the non-randomization pretest, posttest design and control-group. The population of the study comprised all the SS 1 students in secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. There were 18 public secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra state with population of 2,068 SS 1 students. The sample of this study comprised 93 SS I students identified with poor study behaviour from three (3) selected public secondary schools. Purposive sampling technique was used in identifying the three schools because they have the highest number of students with poor study behavior. The instrument for data collection was a Study Behaviour Inventory (SBI) by Akinboye 1985. The instrument is a 25-item inventory with response option ranging from least like me to most like me, with corresponding values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The Behaviour Study Inventory test was administered to the students in the three sampled secondary schools for the study by the researcher with the help of three trained research assistants that went round the secondary school to distribute copies of the inventory test.  Data collected were analyzed using mean analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) statistical tools. The findings of this study revealed that assertiveness training technique is effective in enhancing study behaviour of secondary school students. The study revealed that self-reinforcement technique is effective in modifying the poor study behaviour of secondary school students. The study specifically conclude that assertiveness training and self-reinforcement technique can be used to modify the poor study behaviour of secondary school students, as there is no significant difference in the effectiveness of the both techniques on secondary school students study behaviour.