ABSTRACT
A significant increase in self-esteem was evident immediately after the pupils had attended the course of assertiveness sessions. There was a slight fall back in self-esteem scores two terms later, but this was not statistically significant. In one school, the increase in self-esteem continued even after the group had been completed. In this school, the teacher who ran the group maintained support for the pupils throughout the year. In the other schools, where there was no real contact with the teacher once the group had ended, there was a gradual decline in self-esteem scores. This indicates that whilst assertiveness training groups such as these are effective in boosting pupil self-esteem, longterm maintenance of this change will depend on continuing intermittent reinforcement and support.
