Comparison of the Effectiveness of Time Perspective Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Academic Motivation, Academic Engagement, Academic Procrastination, and Academic Persistence in Flood-Affected Secondary School Students with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of time perspective therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on academic motivation, academic engagement, academic procrastination, and academic persistence in flood-affected secondary school students with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research design was a quasi-experimental extended study with a pretest-posttest and control group, along with follow-up. The statistical population consisted of all first-year secondary school students in the 2020-2021 academic year from the regions of Bavi, Karun, Hamidiyeh, and Shavur in Khuzestan province. After initial screening and obtaining consent from parents and students, 60 participants were selected. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups: 20 in the cognitive-behavioral interventions group, 20 in the time perspective therapy group, and 20 in the control group. The Mississippi PTSD Scale, Academic Motivation Questionnaire, Short Form of the Flow Scale by Martin and Jackson, Academic Procrastination Questionnaire, and Academic Persistence Scale were used for data collection. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24 software through multivariate and univariate covariance analysis. The findings indicated that the hypotheses regarding the effectiveness of time perspective therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy on academic motivation, academic engagement, academic procrastination, and academic persistence were confirmed. However, the hypotheses comparing the effectiveness of these two therapies on the dependent variables were not supported. Therefore, the implementation of time perspective therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy is recommended for the dependent variables of the study as well as for other academic issues faced by male and female students at various educational levels.