The Effectiveness of Play Counseling in Reducing Shyness among a Sample of School Children in Al-Qarabulli Area

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify the effectiveness of play counseling in reducing shyness among children by examining the level of shyness before, during, and after the implementation of the counseling program. The study adopted the quasi-experimental approach, as it is the most appropriate method for investigating the effect of a play counseling program on reducing shyness among children.

The study sample consisted of 35 school children in Al-Qarabulli area. The study tool was applied to measure the child’s behavior related to shyness before, during, and after play counseling. The results showed that the level of shyness among children was high before the implementation of the program, with a relative weight of 77.90%. It then decreased during the implementation of the program to a moderate level, with a percentage of 59.62%. After the implementation of the program, the level of shyness decreased to a low level, with a percentage of 53.17%.

The results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences attributed to the gender variable, while statistically significant differences appeared according to the age variable. This suggests that age may play a role in the degree of children’s response to the counseling program. The study concluded that play counseling helps children express their feelings more effectively, increases their ability to interact and participate socially, and contributes to developing self-confidence and reducing withdrawal behavior and shyness.