The Effectiveness of Choice Theory Training on Adolescent Crisis Management and Academic Motivation

Sara Arbabi; Hamidreza Abbasi; Mohammad Ali Fardin

Authors

Sara Arbabi Department of Psychology, Zah.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0646-971X
Hamidreza Abbasi Department of Psychology and Counseling, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2881-583X
Mohammad Ali Fardin Department of Psychology, Zah.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2221-2904

Keywords:

choice theory training, adolescent crisis management, academic motivation

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of choice theory training on adolescent crisis management and academic motivation. This applied study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of female students in Grades 7 and 8 of lower secondary schools in Zahedan during the 2024–2025 academic year. A total of 60 students were selected using multistage cluster sampling and were subsequently randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The research instruments included the Adolescent Crisis Management Questionnaire (Sarafrazi, 2012), the Academic Motivation Questionnaire (Harter, 1980, 1981), and the Choice Theory Training Package (Ghari Zadeh et al., 2024). The content validity of the instruments was established, and their reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, which were .71 for the Adolescent Crisis Management Questionnaire and .89 for the Academic Motivation Questionnaire. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. The results indicated significant improvements from pretest to posttest in crisis management and its components, as well as in academic motivation and its components, among participants receiving choice theory training. The effects were also maintained at the follow-up assessment. In both domains, the effect on extrinsic motivation, particularly at follow-up, was greater than that observed for the other components. Overall, the intervention demonstrated stronger effectiveness at posttest; however, this relative advantage was not maintained at follow-up.

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