Effect of Cognitive Restructuring Technique on Academic Task Procrastination of Secondary School Students in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Procrastination is a behavioural problem that constitute a serious academic impediment to all human especially students and teachers in school environment. This study investigated the effect of cognitive restructuring technique on academic task procrastination of secondary school students in Onitsha, Anambra State.  Seven research questions and seven null hypotheses were raised and tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. Quasi experimental non-randomized pre- test and post-test, control group design was used for the study. Sample size of 580, SS 11 and J.SS 11, male and female secondary school students were purposively drawn from seven co-educational secondary schools with population size of 3550. The instrument for data collection was Tuckman procrastination Scale (TPS). Mean was used to answer the research Questions. ANCOVA was used in testing the null hypotheses. Findings of the study revealed among others that both cognitive restructuring technique was effective in reducing academic task procrastination among secondary school students. The study showed that cognitive restructuring technique was more effective in reducing academic task procrastination of male and female secondary school students. The effect of cognitive restructuring technique on academic task procrastination of secondary school students was significant. Based on the findings, of the study, it was concluded that cognitive restructuring technique are effective in reducing academic task procrastination of secondary school students. The following recommendations were made, among others: guidance counsellors should start adopting cognitive restructuring technique in assisting students with academic task procrastination in secondary schools.