MODE DEACTIVATION AND EMOTION REGULATION THERAPIES IN THE REDUCTION OF NEGATIVE ACADEMIC EMOTION AMONG UNDERACHIEVING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Negative Academic Emotion (NAE) is a disturbing feeling that students experience in the cause of studying, which could cause poor mental health and self-worth. Reports have shown that many underachieving Secondary School Students (SSS) exhibit NAE in Ibadan, Nigeria. Previous studies focused more on causative factors than on intervention using Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) and Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT). This study, therefore, was designed to determine the effects of MDT and ERT on NAE among underachieving SSS in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study also examined the moderating effects of gender and self-esteem. The study was anchored to the Control Value Theory of Academic Emotion, while the pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design with a 3x2x3 factorial matrix was adopted. The simple random sampling technique was employed to select three (Ibadan North, Akinyele, and Ido) Local Government Areas- LGAs. Three schools were randomly selected (one per LGA). The students were screened using available school records and Academic Emotion Questionnaire (α = 0.72). The instruments used were Academic Emotion (α = 0.83) and Rosenberg Self-esteem (α = 0.72) scales and intervention guides. The participants were randomly assigned to MDT (31), ERT (32) and control (32) groups. The intervention lasted eight weeks. The data were analysed using Analysis of covariance and Bonferonni post-host test at 0.05 level of significance. The participants’ age was 18.54±0.62 years and 60.0% were female. There was a significant main effect of treatment on NAE among the underachieving SSS (F(2.80)= 320.50; partial η2= .89). The participants exposed to ERT ( X = 28.99) had the lowest NAE post-mean score as against those in MDT ( X = 33.38) and the control ( X = 60.30) groups. Gender had a significant main effect on NAE (F(1.80)= 6.75, partial η2= 0.08). Male ( X =40.47) participants recorded lower NAE than their female ( X = 42.85) counterparts. Selfesteem had a significant main effect on NAE (F(2.80)= 7.46; partial η2= 0.16).The participants with high self-esteem ( X = 39.63) recorded the least NAE post-mean score, as against those with moderate self-esteem ( X = 40.73) and low self-esteem ( X = 43.04). There was a significant interaction effect of treatment and self-esteem on NAE (F(2.80)= 2.68; partial η2= 0.12), in favour of participants with high self-esteem in the ERT group. The interaction effect of treatment and gender was not significant. There was a significant interaction effect of gender and self-esteem on negative academic emotion (F(1.80)= 12.66, η2= 0.14) in favour of the male participants with high self-esteem. The three-way interaction effect of treatment, gender, and self-esteem was not significant. Mode deactivation and emotion regulation therapies reduced negative academic emotion among underachieving secondary school students in Ibadan, Nigeria. Counselling psychologists should use these therapies in handling underachieving students with negative academic emotion.