Effects of Rational Emotive Behavior Occupational Intervention on Perceptions of Work Value and Ethical Practices: Implications for Educational Policy Makers

Ethical issues such as value decadence, moral laxity, and negative attitudes to work among Nigerian employees such as teachers remain worrisome trends especially with regards to professional integrity. These problems in workplace settings could be associated with negative perceptions of organizational demands, values, and principles. Given this, this study examined the effect of rational emotive occupational intervention on the perceptions of work value and ethical practices among primary school teachers in Nigeria. A group-randomized control intervention with 148 primary school teachers as participants was employed. Participants were allocated to the treatment group (n = 74) and waitlisted control group (n = 74). The participants in the treatment group received a 12-week program whereas the comparison group was waitlisted, evaluated at three points. The results showed that rational emotive behavioral occupational intervention was significant in the work values of primary school teachers in Nigeria as measured by Organizational Values Scale and Value Congruence Scale. Rational emotive occupational intervention was significant in the ethical sensitivity of primary school teachers in Nigerian as measured by Ethical Sensitivity Scale. It was also found that the rational emotive behavioral occupational intervention has long-term significant effects on work value and ethical practices among primary school teachers in Nigeria as measured by Organizational Values Scale, Ethical Sensitivity Scale, and Value Congruence Scale. Therefore, we conclude that rational emotive behavioral occupational intervention is effective in reducing the negative perceptions of work value and ethical practices among primary school teachers in Nigeria.