The effectiveness of choice theory training on academic buoyancy and subjective vitality of students

Background and Purpose: Students are the most crucial part of the educational system of any country.Investigating psychological training aimed at enhancing students' mental health is considered an essential issue in both developed and developing societies.So, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Choice Theory training on academic buoyancy and mental vitality in students.Method: This study was applied in terms of purpose and quasi-experimental in nature, employing a pretest-posttest design with a control group.The statistical population included male students in the upper elementary grades (second stage of primary school) in Tehran who visited two psychological service centers in the city between July and October 2024.A total of thirty-four students were selected through convenience sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and voluntary participation.They were randomly assigned to an experimental group (15 students) and a control group (17 students).The experimental group received training in Glasser's Choice Theory (1999) for ten sessions, while the control group did not receive any such training.Data collection instruments included the Academic Buoyancy Scale (ABS; Martin & Marsh, 2008(and the Subjective Vitality Scale (Ryan & Frederick, 1997).Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with SPSS version 25.Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of academic buoyancy (F = 14.518, p < 0.05) and subjective vitality (F = 5.990, p < 0.05). Conclusion:Based on these results, it can be concluded that Choice Theory helps students make more constructive decisions, thereby enhancing their academic buoyancy and mental vitality.