The Effectiveness of Social Skills Training based on Timothy Campbell-Comerford Theory on Academic Self-Concept and Academic Emotions of Students with Behavioral Problems

Due to their poor academic self-concept, students with behavioral problems often make very negative judgments about their abilities and values and experience negative academic emotions, which makes it necessary to provide them with psychological training. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of social skills training based on Timothy Campbell-Comerford theory on academic self-concept and academic emotions of female students with behavioral problems.

The statistical population of this experimental research included all sixth-grade female students in Tabriz in the academic year 2019-2020. 30 students who were diagnosed as having behavioral problems based on the cutoff score in the Conners’ Behavioral Problem Rating Scale (the parent and teacher forms) were selected by multi-stage random cluster sampling and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). Both groups completed the Liu & Wang (2005) Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire and Pekrun et al (2002) Achievement Emotions Questionnaire. Having attended 14 sessions of social skills training based on Timothy Campbell-Comerford (two sessions a week for 7 weeks) in the experimental group, the mentioned questionnaires were completed by the two groups. The results were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of covariance. 

Social skills training based on Timothy Campbell-Comerford increased academic self-concept significantly (p=0.047). Although the training reduced the academic emotions of students with behavioral problems, the difference between the two groups was not significant (p=0.050).

Since social skills training based on Timothy Campbell-Comerford increased academic self-concept and reduced academic emotions, it is recommended that this educational approach be applied.