Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences

Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences

Effectiveness of Online Reality Therapy on Exam Anxiety and Academic Procrastination among Male High School Students: A Quasi-experimental Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ehsan Abron 1
Leila Sadat Azizi Ziabari 2
Afsaneh Khajevand Khosheli 1
1 Department of Psychology, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran
2 Department of Nursing, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran
10.30476/ijvlms.2023.98989.1230
Abstract
Background: Procrastination is considered as a barrier to academic progress because it reduces both the quality and quantity of academic success by increasing stress and causing negative consequences in students' academic lives. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of reality therapy on exam anxiety and academic procrastination among male high school students.
Methods: This research employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. The statistical population consisted of all male high school students in Sari city, Iran, during the 2021–2022 academic year. Participants were chosen through simple random sampling. From each district, two high schools were randomly selected. A total of 40 male students were then randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group, with 20 students in each. The experimental group received online reality therapy over eight sessions, each lasting one and a half hours, while the control group was placed on a waiting list. Following the intervention, both groups completed post-test and follow-up assessments. Data were collected using Friedman’s Test Anxiety Questionnaire and Solomon’s Academic Procrastination Scale. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance with SPSS version 25.
Results: The results showed that reality therapy significantly reduced mean exam anxiety (from 46.96±7.65 to 21.54±4.50; P=0.001) and academic procrastination (from 93.82±9.93 to 51.30±6.16; P=0.001). These improvements positively affected the students’ academic performance, and the changes remained stable through the follow-up period.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that reality therapy is effective in reducing exam anxiety and academic procrastination among students. Therefore, it can be used as an effective method to alleviate exam anxiety and academic procrastination in high school students.
Keywords
Distance
Education
Reality Therapy
Test Anxiety
Procrastination
Male
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  • Receive Date 13 July 2023
  • Revise Date 29 July 2023
  • Accept Date 17 August 2023
  • Publish Date 01 December 2023