Strengthening Motivation Through Group Guidance to Increase Students’ Interest in Continuing Their Studies at Madrasah Mu’allimin Muhammadiyah

Abstract

Background: ontinuing studies at the same level of education is an important indicator of the success of student development at Madrasah Mu'allimin Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Initial findings indicate that some students in class 3J (Tsanawiyah) are hesitant to continue their studies to the MA level, suggesting a motivation issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Objective: This investigation aimed to foster student academic motivation and reinforce their commitment to continuing their studies through structured group guidance interventions. Method: Employing a Classroom Action Research framework informed by the Kurt Lewin operational model, the study engaged 30 students across two sequential cycles. Each cycle encompassed integrated planning, action, observation, and reflective evaluation phases. Empirical data were gathered utilizing validated questionnaires, systematic behavioral observation protocols, and counselor anecdotal logs, subsequently examined using comparative descriptive techniques across intervention phases. Results: The intervention yielded substantial, sustained reductions in student academic hesitation. Indecision rates dropped sharply from an initial 50 percent at the pre cycle baseline to 30 percent in Cycle I, ultimately plummeting to 3.3 percent following Cycle II completion. Conclusion: Motivational enhancement delivered via collaborative; structured group guidance serves as a highly efficacious modality for solidifying student commitment to institutional educational continuity. Originality/Value: This study addresses an essential operational gap in the field of career guidance counseling and Islamic education by uncovering a marked decrease in student hesitation from 50 percent to 3.3 percent through systematic motivational enhancement, regarding educational continuity interest in the context of group guidance interventions among boarding madrasah students, an area that has remained underexamined through cyclical classroom action research designs. These findings enrich empirical evidence and serve as a strategic benchmark for designing specialized career group guidance interventions, reinforcing internal educational transition retention within madrasah systems, and formulating collaborative multi stakeholder academic mentoring policies in Islamic secondary institutions.