RESUMO
Assertiveness is one of the social skills which are extensively applied in everyday interactions. It is also one of the factors associated with the human skill "to say no" against hazardous behaviors, including smoking, drug abuse, and sexual affairs. Assertiveness also takes an added emphasis regarding high schoolchildren due to such actualities as peer pressure and the adolescents' particular age conditions. This study was done to investigate the effect of teaching courageousness based on PRECEDE Model on high schoolchildren assertiveness in Gonabad. An experimental study was conducted across Gonabad high school sin the 2008-2009 curricular years. We applied multistage random cluster sampling to select 140 students [treatment group= 70, control group= 70] who were sitting in second grade of the high schools. Using a six-part questionnaire [proportional to PRECEDE model], we collected the data. After doing pre-test, educational intervention was performed in treatment group, based on the model. Post-test was conducted 8 weeks after the intervention. We used SPSS software to analyze the data. Prior to the intervention, knowledge, attitude, and assertiveness of the students was moderate while their saying no" skill was lower than the average. After the intervention, a significant increase [P<0.001] emerged in the mean score of the respondent's knowledge, attitude, skill, and assertiveness. In terms of sex, the male students showed higher level of assertiveness which was statistically significant. There were no significant associations in the other factors between the girls and the sons. The results showed that teaching courageousness based on PRECEDE model may positively effect on the students' knowledge, attitude, and assertiveness as well as the reinforcing and enabling factors. It seems the model could be employed alongside other methods to enhance high schoolchildren's assertiveness