ABSTRACT

This study thus investigated the efficacy of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and Social Skills Training in enhancing the self-concept of orthopaedically impaired in-school adolescents in Imo state. The study adopted quasi experimental design employing the nonrandomized pre-test, posttest, control group design with a 4x2 factorial matrix. Seven research questions were answered and seven hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The population of the study was 158 orthopaedically impaired in-school adolescents identified in the study area. The sample size was 64 orthopedically impaired inschool adolescents. Multi stage sampling technique was used for the study. Simple random sampling was used to select the three Local Government Areas out of the five Local Government Areas for the study. Purposive sampling was used to select 64 orthopaedically impaired in-school adolescents to ensure gender mix. Three instruments were validated and used for the study. They were Orthopaedically Impaired Teacher Identification Questionnaire (OITIQ), Orthopaedically Impaired Researcher Identification Questionnaire (OIRIQ) and Orthopaedically Impaired Self-Concept Questionnaire (OISCQ). The participants were assigned to three treatment groups and one control group. Participants in the three treatment groups were exposed to five weeks each of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) and Social Skills Training (SST) and a combination of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and Social Skills Training Techniques (REBT and SST). Data collected at posttest and follow-up periods were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions 1-7, while t-test was used to test hypotheses 1-6 and ANCOVA for hypothesis 7. The result of the study revealed that analyses of research questions using mean and standard deviation showed a mean difference between those in the treatment group and control at both post test and the follow up periods. The result of the hypotheses revealed that the level of self-concept of those in the treatment groups (REBT and SST) were higher than the control group at post-test. Again, the result showed that treatment gains were maintained after one month follow-up period. Combined treatment REBT and SST was found to have had greater effect than single treatments. There was also no gender difference in the treatment outcome at follow-up. Based on the findings, it was concluded that REBT, SST and their combination were efficacious in the enhancement of self-concept of the orthopaedically impaired in-school adolescents in the study area. It was recommended that school counsellors should utilize these counselling techniques proven to be effective in the enhancement of the self-concept of the orthopaedically impaired in school adolescents to enhance the self-concept of the orthopaedically impaired in-school adolescents. They should periodically organize special counselling programmes for them. Suggestions for further studies was made.