Abstract
Background
Rational‐Emotive Education exercises in mainstream classrooms can be important in eliminating typically developing students’ problem behaviors, such as poor acceptance of disabled classmates. This study aimed to assess the effects of Rational‐Emotive Education on rational thinking, subjective wellbeing, and self‐efficacy of typical students and their levels of social acceptance toward disabled students in mainstream classrooms.
Method
The study was conducted between October 25, 2017 and January 17, 2018 at two middle schools located in Ankara, Turkey. A quasi‐experimental design and nonequivalent control group were used. The research sample consisted of 212 typically developing students and 16 disabled students in the middle schools. Socio‐Demographic Questionnaire, Irrational Beliefs Scale for Adolescents, Adolescent Subjective Wellbeing Scale, General Self‐Efficacy Scale, and Social Acceptance Scale were used to collect data. Students in the intervention group participated in a 12‐week Rational‐Emotive Education program.
Results
The results showed that, for the students who took part in the rational emotive‐education program, there was a significant increase in subjective well‐being, self‐efficacy, and social acceptance towards peers with special needs, and a significant reduction in irrational beliefs as compared to those in the control group (p<.001). Social Validity Questionnaire completed by the parents of the students with special needs to assess the social validity and the effects of the intervention showed that the Rational‐Emotive Education program provided a positive classroom atmosphere and so positively affected the disabled students.
Conclusion
The study results supported previous findings on Rational‐Emotive Education, which is adopted in Turkey and in the world as a humanistic approach. Rational‐Emotive Education is a method that can be used in mental and school health nursing to increase social acceptance of the disabled students, eliminate their social‐emotional problems, and create a positive classroom atmosphere for all students.