Abstract:

In the last two decades, teachers, parents and counselors reported an increase in student’s dysfunctional emotions and behaviors. In fact, educational contexts find the students involved more often in behaviors having long-term consequences on school performance and social integration. It has become clear that schools need special programs for students in order to ensure an efficient adaptation to school complexity. The question is now which program to chose. In the last decades, cognitive-behavioral interventions were the most effective strategies employed for the prevention and remission of these types of problems. Therefore, in this study we aimed at developing a program of rational-emotive and behavioral education in primary and secondary school. Several exploratory analyses done by us revealed that school population experience Low Frustration Tolerance and Global Evaluations related with dysfunctional emotions and behaviors (such as procrastination, anxiety, hyperactivity, social isolation, unjustified absences and aggressiveness). Developing resilient competences for students through rational-emotive and behavioral interventions will increase their competences in order to exert control over themselves. We identified a number of factors that determine the development of a resilient set of skills for the students. The 5 identified factors are represented by the feedback from the students that the teachers are using to design classroom activities, construction activities to facilitate the involvement of students in the classroom, students’ perceptions of group cohesion and the involvement of teachers in professional development. Our results demonstrate the need of developing appropriate coping strategies for the students, by using applied trainings for teachers and counselors. Such interventions require prevention and optimization programs based on children’s understanding of the link between their thoughts, feelings and actions.

Keywords:

school counselling, cognitive-behavioural intervention, dysfunctional school.