The purpose of this study was to determine whether the
Adaptive Behaviour group intervention effected a greater
immediate positive change on 'poorly adapted' student locus
of control, self esteem, group evaluation and perceived
behaviour than Helping Skills, Relaxation Training or No
Intervention group after eight weeks.
The three independent variables - Adaptive Behaviour, Helping Skills and Relaxation Training Group Interventions
- were devised and led by the Researcher and two school
counsellors respectively.
Measurement of the dependent variables was by the use
of the following instruments pre-test and post-test: Locus
of Control Scale for Children (Nowicki Strickland 1972);
Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory (Coopersmith, 1982); and
researcher designed questionnaires.
A pre-test post-test group design was used in the
study. The subjects were years 7-9 High School students
identified by Student Year Advisers and the Assistant
Principal Student Welfare as being 'poorly adapted' and
'well adapted' to the school environment. Students were
randomly allocated - in year groups - to the intervention
and control groups.
Results indicated no short term significant positive
change in locus of control for any intervention or
controlgroup; no short term significant positive change in
self esteem for any intervention group; no significant
correlation between locus of control and self esteem scores
for any intervention group; positive pre and post-test
group evaluations for all groups; some positive short term
change in teacher and student perceptions of student
behaviour in regard to all three interventions. In some
cases students' behaviour in the experimental group (Group
A) was perceived more positively by teachers and students.
Some recommendations for further research are:
replication of the study over a longer period of time with
some modification to the experimental programme, the
research design and methods of measurement.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219054 |
| Date | January 1986 |
| Creators | Jasinksi, Jennifer Anne, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Jennifer Anne Jasinksi |
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