ABSTRACT

 This study sought to explore the effectiveness of Assertiveness Training Techniques and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy on self-efficacy among in-school adolescents in Abia State. Nine research questions and nine null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design employing the pre-test-post-test, non-randomized control group design with a 3x2x2 factorial matrix. The sample ofthe study consisted of 36 (18 males and 18 females) in-school adolescents who were purposefully selected from 680 (360 male and 320 female) senior Secondary Two (SS II) students identified with low self-efficacy using Self-efficacy Identification Questionnaire in public secondary schools in Abia State in 2022/2023 academic session. These comprised 12 subjects each for Assertiveness training (ATT), Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) and control groups respectively. The study equally adopted multi-stage sampling techniques. The instrument used for data collection was a 35-item questionnaire titled ‘Self-Efficacy Identification Questionnaire (SEIQ)’. The instrument was validated by three experts, one each from Guidance and Counselling, Psychology and Measurement and Evaluation, from Michael Okpara University ofAgriculture, Umudike. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was conducted to ascertain the correlation for the SEIQ and reliability index of 0.74 was obtained. Test of reliability for the internal consistency ofthe instrument was measured using Cronbach Alpha and the result indicated index value of 0.84 for the SEIQ. Data were collected in the three phases ofpre-treatment, treatment and follow-up periods. Data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level ofsignificance. The result showed that: there -was low self-regulatory self-efficacy and academic self-efficacy among in-school adolescents with self-regulatory self-efficacy and academic self-efficacy scores of 1.57 and 1.56 respectively in Abia State and that intervention using either Assertiveness training or rational emotive behaviour therapy significantly enhanced the rate of self-efficacy of inschool adolescents. This is evident from the result that showed that in-school adolescents exposed to either Assertiveness training techniques or rational emotive behaviour therapy had higher mean self-regulatory self-efficacy and academic self-efficacy increased than those in the control group and the treatment gains were maintained after one month follow-up period. There were also no gender differences in the treatment packages. It was thus recommended among others that school counsellors who have some identified students with low self-efficacy in their schools should effectively use Assertiveness training techniques and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy in enhancing their low self-efficacy and consequently increased their self-efficacy, without gender discrimination.