The Effects of Puppet Play Therapy on Self-Concept, Precieved Competence and Social Development of Delayed Elementary School Students

This research intended to examine the effectiveness of puppet play therapy on self-concept, perceived competence, and social maturity of slow learners at the primary school level. The study population consisted of all female slow learners in the fifth grade in Azar-Shahr during the academic year of 1399.1400. Based on the purposive sampling method, 30 participants from among female slow learners in the fifth grade in Azar-Shahr were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental group (n=15) and the control group (n=15). To collect the data, three instruments were employed, Piers-Harris children's self-concept scale, Harter’s self-perception profile for children and Vineland social maturity scales. This quasi-experimental study used a pretest-posttest control group design. While the experimental group received nine 90-minute sessions of puppet play therapy, the control group received no treatment. Results based on one-way ANCOVA displayed that the slow learners in the experimental groups made more gains in terms of self-concept, perceived competence, and social maturity as compared with their counterparts in the control group (p<0.5). It can be concluded that puppet play therapy along with other therapeutic programs can be employed to enhance self-concept, perceived competence, and social maturity of slow learners at the primary school level. (p<0/05)