A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Gestalt-Based Play Therapy and Parent-Centered Play Therapy on Academic Self-Efficacy of School Girls

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Gestalt-based play therapy and parent-centered play therapy on academic self-efficacy among upper primary school female students. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest, control group, and two-month follow-up assessment. The statistical population consisted of female students aged 9–11 years enrolled in public elementary schools in District 8 of Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year. Forty-five eligible students were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (Gestalt play therapy and parent-centered play therapy) and one control group, each including 15 participants. Academic self-efficacy was measured using the Morgan and Jinks Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Therapeutic interventions were conducted across ten structured sessions. Data were collected at pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages and analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests in SPSS version 28. Repeated-measures ANOVA indicated significant main effects of time, group membership, and time×group interaction on academic self-efficacy (p < .001). Both intervention approaches significantly improved academic self-efficacy compared with the control group. Post hoc comparisons revealed significant increases from pretest to posttest and sustained improvement at follow-up. Additionally, parent-centered play therapy demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness than Gestalt-based play therapy in enhancing students’ academic self-efficacy. The findings suggest that play therapy interventions are effective psychological approaches for improving academic self-efficacy in elementary school children, with parent involvement functioning as a critical mechanism for strengthening students’ confidence in their academic abilities and sustaining positive educational outcomes.