The Effectiveness of a Drawing-Based Counselling Program in Developing Religious Values and National Identity Among Fourth-Grade Students in the Sultanate of Oman
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59992/IJSR.2026.v5n10p5Keywords:
Counselling Program, Drawing, Religious Values, National IdentityAbstract
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a drawing-based counseling program in developing religious values and national identity among fourth-grade students in the Sultanate of Oman. The study employed a quasi-experimental design involving an experimental group and a control group. The sample consisted of 40 fourth-grade students from Kunooz Al Ebda School in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, with 20 students assigned to the experimental group and 20 to the control group. To achieve the objectives of the study, a Religious Values and National Identity Scale was developed. The scale consisted of two dimensions: religious values, comprising 15 items, and national identity, comprising 10 items. The validity and reliability of the instrument were established, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.82.
A drawing-based counseling program consisting of 12 counseling sessions was also developed and implemented over a period of six weeks. The program aimed to foster a range of religious values, including honesty, trustworthiness, prayer, honouring parents, and respecting neighbours, while also strengthening national identity through love of the homeland, appreciation of national symbols and culture, loyalty to the Sultan, and environmental responsibility. The program incorporated expressive and creative drawing activities that enabled students to transform religious and national values into meaningful visual experiences and artistic expressions. Activities included drawing the Omani flag, visually expressing concepts related to prayer and honesty, drawing family members and neighbours, designing a card expressing appreciation for the Sultan, depicting the Omani environment, and concluding with an exhibition of the students’ artwork.
The findings revealed no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the pre-test measures of religious values and national identity, indicating that the two groups were equivalent prior to the implementation of the program. However, statistically significant differences were found between the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group in both religious values and national identity. The mean score for religious values increased from 2.32 to 2.68, while the mean score for national identity increased from 2.35 to 2.62. The effect sizes were 0.87 for religious values, 0.84 for national identity, and 0.85 for the overall scale, indicating a large effect of the program. The study concluded that the drawing-based counseling program was effective in developing religious values and strengthening national identity among fourth-grade students. These findings highlight the importance of using art and drawing as educational and counseling approaches that enable students to interact with, express, and practice values rather than merely receiving them through traditional instruction.
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