Effect of Cognitive Restructuring Counselling Technique on Test Anxiety among Students of Colleges of Education in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Aliyu Bako Abdullahi

Abstract


The theme of this paper is the effect of the Cognitive Restructuring Counselling Technique on test anxiety among students of Colleges of Education in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study outlines three objectives and three corresponding hypotheses. A quasi-experimental design, utilizing a pre-test and post-test format, was adopted. The population of the study included all first-year students (NCE I) exhibiting symptoms of test anxiety from two Colleges of Education in Kaduna State during the 2022/2023 academic session. This consisted of 444 students from FCE Zaria (FCEZ) and 235 students from KSCOE, totaling 679 students. A sample of 60 students was purposively selected for the treatment. Two instruments were used in the study: the "Test Anxiety Checklist," which identified students with symptoms of test anxiety, and the "Test Anxiety Instrument," which was used to gather pre-test and post-test scores from the participants. The content validity of the instruments was verified by experts in educational psychology and counselling from the Faculty of Education at Bayero University Kano (BUK). The reliability index of the test was reported as 0.825, indicating a high correlation coefficient. The study found that the Cognitive Restructuring Counselling Technique was significantly effective in managing the physiological, cognitive, and emotional dimensions of test anxiety among College of Education students. The paper concludes that this counselling intervention successfully reduced these symptoms. It recommends that the government, through the Ministry of Education (MOE) and non-governmental organizations, establish functional guidance and counselling units in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Additionally, college management, examination committees, and school counselling units should enhance orientation programs for first-year students (NCE I) on test-taking skills and methods, which would help reduce test anxiety and improve academic performance during school-based assessments.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Anyamene, A.N. & Ogugua, G.U. (2019) Effect of cognitive restructuring on junior secondary school mathematics test anxiety in oshimili south l.g.a of delta state: Hofa: African Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol.4, No.1,2019, ISSN: 2636-7173. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.3399832

Asikhia, O. A. (2014). Effect of cognitive restructuring on the reduction of mathematics anxiety among senior secondary school students in Ogun State, Nigeria. International Journal of Education and Research 2(2), http://www.ijern.com

Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: John Willey & Sons.

Daniel, B. A., & Songnalle, S. (2018). Test Anxiety Instrument: Department of Education and Psychology, University of Cape Coast Ghana. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329268565

Ergene, T. (2003). Effective interventions on test anxiety reduction. a meta-analysis. London: SAGE Publications.

Foa, E. B., & Kozak, M. J. (1986). Emotional processing of fear: Exposure to corrective information. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 20–35.

Ghamari, K. H., Rafeie, S. H., & Kiani, A. R. (2015). Effectiveness of cognitive restructuring and proper study skills in the reduction of test anxiety symptoms among students in Khalkhal, Iran. American Journal of Educational Research, 3(10), 1230-1236. doi: 10.12691/education-3-10-4.

Goldfried, M. R., Linehan, M. M. & Smith, J. L. (2015) Reduction of test anxiety through cognitive restructuring. State University of New York: Stony Brook; and Catholic University of America. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1978, Vol. 46(1) 32-39 DOI: 10.1037//0022-006X.46.1.32

Hamza, M. R. and Sani, M. M (2019). Effect of cognitive restructuring counselling technique on test anxiety among staff secondary school students in tertiary institutions of Kano State, Nigeria (Unpublished Master’s thesis Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria)

Jalil, F., Rahim B.G. and Parviz S. (2013) An investigation of the effects of cognitive therapy training on test anxiety in secondary education department of psychology, tabriz branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran. European Journal of Experimental Biology, 3(1), 116-120. http://www.pelagiaresearchlibrary.com

Kendra, C. (2012). Test Anxiety Symptoms. The New York Times Company.

https://psychology.about.com/od/mentalhealth/a/test-anxiety

Sarason, S. B., & Mandler, G. (1988). A study of anxiety and learning. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 47, 166-173.

Szentagotai, A. (2005) Cognitive psychology research as a tool for developing new techniques in cognitive behavioural therapy: a clinical example. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies. 5, 1

Wright, W. E. (2002). The effects of high-stakes testing in an inner-city elementary school: the curriculum, the teachers, and the English language learners. Current Issues in Education. http://cie.ed.asu.edu/volume5/number5/

Zeidner, M., & Matthews, G. (2005). Evaluation anxiety: Current theory and research. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Ed.),Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 141-163). New York: Guilford Publications.

Zeidner, M. (2004). Test anxiety. In Spielberger (Ed.).Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology (pp.545-56). Academic Press: San Diego


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.