Professor Essau’s “Super Skills for Exam” programme scaled-up across 245 schools in Turkey

• Friday, September 23, 2022

The “Super Skills for Exam” programme, co-developed by Professor Cecilia Essau at the University of Roehampton, has been chosen by Uğur College in Turkey to be scaled-up across its 245 schools throughout October 2022, benefitting 45,000 adolescents.

Super Skills for Exam programme will be integrated into Uğur College’s school curriculum to aid adolescents in grades 7-8 and 11-12 as they prepare for their national examinations. The project is locally led by Professor Bilge Uzun at Bahcesehir University, Istanbul. 

The Super Skills for Exam programme has been co-adapted from Prof Essau’s “Super Skills for Life” programme, which uses the principles of cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) and behavioural activation to help young people cope with emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression.

Together with Uğur College staff, teachers and school counsellors, the programme provides the skills and techniques that adolescents need to cope with exam stress and other school-related stressors. The prevalence of school stress among adolescents in secondary schools is high in most countries, including in Turkey. Studies have consistently shown a reciprocal relationship between high levels of stress and poor mental health, and low levels of academic performance and achievement. 

In preparation for the scaling-up of the “Super Skills for Exam”, Professor Essau and Professor Uzun delivered a workshop to 270 teachers and school counsellors from Uğur College on September 3 – 4 at Bahcesehir University Future Campus in Istanbul.  

Professor Essau said: “It is a great honour that Uğur College has chosen our programme to be scaled-up in all its schools across Turkey. This is the biggest project of its kind. I look forward to collaborating with Uğur College and Professor Bilge Uzun as we support adolescents as they prepare for their national exams.”