ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
The issue of truancy, which continues to be a significant problem in Malaysian schools, is an important problem that significantly impacts the academic performance and overall development of children. To solve this problem, finding solutions that are both creative and supported by data is essential. This study investigated the effectiveness, validity, and reliability of the Choice Theory Reality Therapy Group Guidance Module (MBKCTRT) in addressing chronic absenteeism in secondary schools in Malaysia. The research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, including the participation of four hundred students. These students included administrators, guidance counselors, and members of both the experimental control group and the control group. Participants were requested to complete questionnaires that gave quantitative data before and after the intervention. On the other hand, respondents were invited to participate in interviews and focus groups to collect qualitative data. It was clear from the findings that the MBKCTRT has a high level of validity and reliability. The student participation rate (0.9 points higher on a 5-point scale) and the attendance rate (18.4% higher) were substantially greater in the experimental group. According to a thematic analysis of qualitative data, self-awareness, goal-setting, communication, and school belonging were the four categories in which students exhibited improvement. MBKCTRT has the potential to be an effective intervention for decreasing absenteeism and boosting holistic student development, according to the findings of the research, which, in turn, has significant implications for educational policy and practice in Malaysia.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Cheah, Y. K., Kee, C. C., Lim, K. H., & Omar, M. A. (2021). Mental health and truancy among high school students in Malaysia: A comparison between ethnic minority groups. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 6, 100285.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2002). Research methods in education. Routledge.
Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Cengage learning.
Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2017). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Sage publications.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
Erford, B. T. (2014). Research and evaluation in counseling (p. 504). Stamford, CT: Cengage learning.
Fredricks, J. A., Filsecker, M., & Lawson, M. A. (2016). Student engagement, context, and adjustment: Addressing definitional, measurement, and methodological issues. Learning and instruction, 43, 1–4.
Glasser, W. (1965). Reality therapy: A new approach to psychiatry.
Glasser, W. (1999). Choice theory: A new psychology of personal freedom. HarperPerennial.
Jusoh, A. J. (2016). Truancy among students at a secondary school in Malaysia based on choice theory. International Journal of Choice Theory® and Reality Therapy, 36(1), 104.
Jusoh, A. J., & Hussain, S. P. (2015). Choice Theory and Reality Therapy (CTRT) group counseling module. Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 3(4).
Kearse-McCastler, G. (2020). Transforming truancy: Exploring factors and strategies that impact truancy among youth. Page Publishing, Inc.
Keng, S. L., Pang, N. T. P., Tanin, C., Cheng, Y. H., Wong, A., & Hadi, N. M. B. N. (2024). Effects of brief dialectical behavior therapy skills training on Malay?speaking school teachers: A controlled study. Psychology in the Schools.
Keppens, G., & Spruyt, B. (2020). The impact of interventions to prevent truancy: A review of the research literature. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 65, 100840.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2020). Education statistics. Retrieved from https://www.mohe.gov.my/en/download/publications-journals-and-reports/nec-2020/582-kod-pendidikan-nasional-2020-nec-2020/file
Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2023). Malaysia education blueprint 2013-2025: Annual report. Retrieved from Malaysia-Education-Blueprint-2013-2025.pdf (pmo.gov.my)
Rasidi, W. F. W. M., Al Amin, M., & Aziah, I. (2020). Bibliometric Analysis of the School Middle Leaders: A Contemporary Review of Malaysia Education Perspective. Creative Education, 11(5), 806-819.
Virtanen, T. E., Räikkönen, E., Engels, M. C., Vasalampi, K., & Lerkkanen, M. K. (2021). Student engagement, truancy, and cynicism: A longitudinal study from primary school to upper secondary education. Learning and Individual Differences, 86, 101972.
Othman, M. N. H. @, Jusoh, A. J., & Arip, M. A. S. M. (2024). Validity and Reliability of the Choice Theory Reality Therapy Group Guidance Module for School Truancy. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(3), 3915–3936.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode