The effectiveness of POOYESH educational program on self-esteem of children with learning problems

The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of POOYESH educational program on self-esteem of children with learning problems. The study design was quasi-experimental, pre-test and post-test with control group. The sample consisted of 30 primary school students in grades 3 to 5 referred to the Imam Hossein Hospital for their learning problems and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. POOYESH educational program was conducted 90-minutes a session for eight weeks (two sessions per week). To evaluate the effectiveness of the training, Pope Self-Esteem Scale was utilized. Analysis of covariance and dependent t-test was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that the scores of the total self-esteem and the three subscales of Global, Academic and Body Self-Esteem increased significantly in the experimental group compared with control group. These results were also confirmed after a two months follow-up. Thus, according to the results of this research and the necessity of increasing self-esteem of children with learning problems, it can be suggested that the POOYESH educational program be used in the schools and health centers to help improve the self-esteem of children with learning problems.