Effectiveness of self‐advocacy training on self‐confidence and assertiveness of high school students with learning disabilities in Tehran

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a self‐advocacy training program in enhancing self‐confidence and assertiveness among female high school students aged 13 to 17 years with learning disabilities in Tehran. A quasi‐experimental design employing a pre‐test–post‐test control group format was utilized. A total of 21 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group ( n  = 10) or the control group ( n  = 11). Data were collected using the Coopersmith Self‐Esteem Inventory (1967) and the Gambrill‐Richey Assertion Inventory (1975). The intervention consisted of ten virtual training sessions, each lasting 60 min, delivered exclusively to the experimental group. Analysis of the data using multivariate and univariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA and ANCOVA) indicated that participation in the self‐advocacy training program resulted in statistically significant improvements in both self‐confidence and assertiveness among students in the experimental group ( p  < 0.05). These findings underscore the potential value of integrating structured self‐advocacy training into educational curricula designed for students with learning disabilities.