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EFFECT OF SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION TECHNIQUES IN MANAGING ENGLISH GRAMMAR ANXIETY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OGUN EAST, NIGERIA

Adebukonla Olu-Daniels & Kehinde P. Amore

Submitted

November 15, 2025

Accepted

December 5, 2025

Published

january 2, 2026
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Abstract

This study examined the effect of Systematic Desensitization Techniques in managing English grammar anxiety among secondary school students in Ogun East, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental design of the pre-test, post-test, control group type was employed. Two public secondary schools were randomly selected and assigned to either the experimental (28 students) or control (22 students) group through a balloting method. The English Grammar Anxiety Rating Scale(EGARS), with a reliability coefficient of 0.72, was used to measure students’ anxiety levels before and after the intervention. The experimental group received systematic desensitization treatment, while the control group did not. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), with pre-test scores as covariates and a significance level of 0.05. The results revealed a statistically significant main effect of treatment on grammar anxiety, F (2, 79) = 47.729, p < .05, with a large effect size (η² = .547). Students in the experimental group recorded significantly lower post-test anxiety scores than those in the control group. The study concluded that systematic desensitization is effective in managing English grammar anxiety and recommended its integration into classroom practices for students with high anxiety levels.

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