Efforts to Improve Student Self-Esteem Through Group Guidance in Junior High School

Abstract

Self-esteem is an important aspect of the psychological development of junior high school students because it affects learning motivation, social relationships, and the ability to adapt to the school environment. However, in reality, there are still students with low self-esteem, characterized by a lack of confidence, feeling unappreciated, and difficulty expressing their opinions. Based on this issue, this study aims to explore efforts to improve students’ self-esteem through group counseling services. The study uses a quantitative approach with a pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design. The data collection instrument was a self-esteem questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability. The results of the study indicate an increase in students’ self-esteem scores after participating in a series of group counseling activities, with a significant  difference between pretest dan posttest scores. These findings prove that group guidance is effective as an intervention in helping students develop self-confidance, optimize their potential, and build a positive perception of themselves. Thus, it can be concluded that group guidance services have a positive effect on improving the self-esteem of middle school students.