Effectiveness of brief CBT cognitive restructuring and self-instruction counseling for increasing academic hardiness of boarding school students

Abstract

Boarding school is an educational system in which students reside in dormitories as an integral part of an academically demanding and challenging process. Therefore, students in boarding schools are expected to possess a high level of academic hardiness. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) group counseling using cognitive restructuring and self-instruction techniques in enhancing the academic hardiness of junior high school boarding students in Demak Regency. This research employed a Pretest-Posttest Two Experimental Groups Design with Follow-Up, involving a sample of 20 students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Academic Hardiness Scale (Kamtsios), consisting of 36 statement items with validity coefficients ranging from 0.403 to 0.754 and a reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) of 0.749. Data analysis techniques included the paired sample t-test to assess effectiveness and repeated measures ANOVA to evaluate changes over time. The results indicated a significant positive effect of brief CBT group counseling using cognitive restructuring and self-instruction techniques in improving the academic hardiness of boarding school students in Demak Regency. The findings also showed that the counseling interventions remained effective over time despite the interaction effects of time. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the level of effectiveness between the cognitive restructuring and self-instruction techniques in enhancing students' academic hardiness. Based on these findings, it is recommended that school counselors implement more effective counseling services aimed at maintaining and improving academic hardiness, particularly for students in boarding schools