Vol. 1 No. 3 (2025): Journal of Counseling and Educational Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly exacerbated stress levels, particularly among working women in Malaysia, who faced increased domestic and professional responsibilities during the crisis. This study explores the effectiveness of Expressive Art Therapy in managing pandemic-induced stress among this demographic. Through qualitative research involving in-depth interviews with 30 participants, the study investigates how Expressive Art Therapy has been utilized to alleviate emotional and psychological strain. The findings reveal that engaging in activities such as painting, drawing, and dance allows these women to articulate emotions nonverbally, fostering a therapeutic release and promoting mental health resilience. This therapeutic approach has proven beneficial in enhancing emotional well-being, offering an innovative outlet for stress management, and improving overall life satisfaction among participants. The research underscores the potential of Expressive Art Therapy to serve as a valuable tool in occupational stress management strategies, particularly in times of crisis. However, the study acknowledges limitations, including the sample size and the specific focus on women who have opted for this therapy, potentially skewing broader applicability. Future research is recommended to explore Expressive Art Therapy's efficacy in broader demographic settings and to examine its long-term psychological benefits. This study highlights the need for policy enhancements to integrate creative therapies into workplace mental health programs, thus supporting gender-specific mental health needs during unprecedented times.

The rapid digitalization of education has transformed instructional methodologies in higher education institutions (HEIs). This paper explores the role of digital instruction and self-directed learning (SDL) as key determinants of academic performance. While digital instruction offers flexibility and accessibility, SDL empowers students to take ownership of their learning. The interplay between these factors significantly influences academic success. The population of study covered all the students of the government owned tertiary institutions in the six geopolitical zones used for the study. The study adopted the correlational survey design and utilized purposive sampling technique to select 185 students from the institutions. The instruments used for the study was developed by the researchers, titled Digital Instructions and Self-directed Learning as determinants of academic performance amongst Higher Education Institutions’ Students (HEIs) Questionnaire (DIaSLdAHEIsQ). The instrument was validated by experts in measurement and evaluation department to ensure content validity. The reliability of 0.88 at Cronbach alpha using test-retest method, there after Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used. Two (2) research questions were raised to guide this study and they were answered using the PPMC. The findings of the study revealed that digital instructions significantly correlate with academic performance of students in HEI (r = .244**, N= 185, P < .05), and also that digital instructions positively correlate with self – directed learning amongst students in HEI (r = .337***, N= 185, P < .05) at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the findings the following recommendations were made, that articulate use of digital resources ought to be underpinned by deployment of meaningful instructional materials and digital tools and activities. Teachers’ professional competence on the use of digital resources.

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a group guidance approach using modeling techniques in enhancing career planning among high school students. Given the rapidly evolving job market and rising youth unemployment, structured career planning interventions for high schoolers are urgently needed to prevent future career misalignment and underemployment. The research employed a mixed-method design with an explanatory sequential approach, involving 36 eleventh-grade science students at SMAN 1 Purwakarta. Participants were selected via purposive sampling, targeting eleventh-grade science students with intermediate career-planning readiness to ensure intervention relevance. Quantitative data were collected through a career planning questionnaire, while qualitative data were obtained from interviews and observations. A 20-item Likert-scale career planning questionnaire measured four dimensions: decision-making, understanding, information-seeking, and self-efficacy (α=0.87), administered pre- and post-intervention.  The results indicate a significant improvement in career planning scores, with the average increasing from 100.36 (pretest) to 114.39 (posttest) (p = 0.000). The decision-making aspect showed the highest increase (+4.83), followed by career understanding (+4.62) and career information-seeking (+4.58). The findings demonstrate that modeling techniques using inspirational videos and interactions with real-life models such as professionals and alumni successfully visualized concrete steps in career planning, enhanced self-efficacy, and reduced student confusion. Qualitative findings confirm that group dynamics facilitated experience-sharing and enriched students' perspectives on the professional world. This study concludes that the approach is effective in helping students develop structured and comprehensive career planning. Practical implications emphasize the importance of integrating modeling-based career guidance programs into school counseling curricula, supported by external collaborations and the use of digital media.

This study examines the relationship between self-control and narcissistic tendencies among adolescent TikTok users. This study aims to understand how the level of self-control impacts narcissistic behavior in adolescents who frequently use TikTok, given the popularity of this application and its potential influence on self-presentation and social validation seeking among adolescents. This study used a quantitative correlational approach, using a questionnaire to collect data from 150 respondents at SMA N 93 Jakarta. The analysis included descriptive statistics, normality tests, linearity tests, and Pearson correlations to test the relationship between self-control (independent variable) and narcissistic behavior (dependent variable) among TikTok users. This study found a significant relationship between self-control and narcissistic behavior among TikTok users, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.393, indicating a weak correlation. Most respondents showed moderate levels of self-control and narcissistic tendencies. The results of the study indicate that increasing self-control can help reduce narcissistic behavior in adolescents. This study concludes that increasing self-control can reduce narcissistic behavior tendencies in adolescent TikTok users. Most respondents showed moderate levels of self-control, making it important to develop educational programs that focus on self-control skills to support the psychological development of adolescents in the digital era.

The purpose of the study is to "Formation of Student Character with Wise Use of Gadgets Through Group Guidance Services". The research method used is a quantitative approach. The population and sample in this study were students of class VII of SMP Bina Dharma, the population was 202 people and the sample was 53 students. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 25. with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test normality test technique, which shows that the data is normally distributed (sig value > 0.05). To test the hypothesis, paired samples t-test is used. The results of the hypothesis test show a sig value (2-tailed) of 0.000, which is smaller than 0.05, so H0 is rejected and Ha is accepted. with the technique. The results of the study concluded in general that group guidance is effective for character formation with the use of gadgets. The results of this study are useful for schools in designing group guidance programs to be more effective in helping to improve student character formation and eradicate student problems.