Effectiveness of Group Counseling based on Reality Therapy on Academic Procrastination and Behavioral Self-Regulation of Students

Abstract

AbstractThe current study was an attempt to shed light on the effects of group counseling based on reality therapy on academic procrastination and behavioral self-regulation of students. The study utilized a quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest and control group design. The population of the study included all male students studying in the first grade of high schools in Zaveh County. Two of these high schools were then selected based on multistage random sampling procedure and then, based on their scores on Academic Procrastination Questionnaire and Behavioral Self-Regulation Questionnaire, 24 individuals were selected as the sample of the study. They were then randomly assigned to two groups (control and experimental). Furthermore, the instruments used in the study were Academic Procrastination Scale (APS) and Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ). The two groups were first pretested and then the experimental group received group counseling based on reality therapy for eight sessions and the control group stayed in the waiting list. In posttest stage, both groups were assessed once more. To analyze the data, multivariate analysis of covariance was used. Findings revealed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of both academic procrastination and behavioral self-regulation. Accordingly, it might be contended that group counseling based on reality therapy is effective in decreasing academic procrastination and improving behavioral self-regulation.