The Effect of Child - Centered Play Therapy on Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Achievement of At-risk Elementary School Students

Abstract

Academic achievement is an important concern for professionals in schools and for school counselor in particular. In this study of at-risk elementary school students, researchers examined the effectiveness of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on academic achievement and academic self-regulation. The experimental group participated in biweekly, 30-minute play therapy sessions for eight weeks. Findings indicated that the at-risk students participating in the experimental group in this study (n = 21) demonstrated a statistically significant increase on the Early Achievement Composite of the Young Children’s Achievement Test, when compared to children in the waitlist control group (n = 21). The researchers found no significant differences for the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire between groups. Additional findings of the analysis indicated that from pretest to posttest, the play therapy (PT) group Intrinsic Motivation scores remained the same over the time of treatment, while the waitlist control (WC) group scores decreased. Results demonstrate continued support for the use of CCPT as an intervention for academic achievement and as an important tool for school counselors to implement in a comprehensive school counseling program.