THE INFLUENCE OF GAMIFICATION TECHNIQUES IN CLASSICAL GUIDANCE SERVICES ON STUDENTS' LEARNING MOTIVATION AT SDN 005 TARAKAN

Abstract

Learning motivation plays a fundamental role in determining students' academic engagement and learning achievement, particularly at the elementary school level. However, conventional classical guidance services frequently rely on lecture-based approaches that fail to actively engage students. This study aimed to examine the effect of gamification techniques implemented in classical guidance services on the learning motivation of fifth-grade students at SDN 005 Tarakan. A quantitative pre-experimental approach employing a one-group pretest-posttest design was adopted. The participants consisted of 28 fifth-grade students selected using simple random sampling. Learning motivation was measured using a validated Likert-scale questionnaire comprising 38 items with a Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.907. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test because the pretest data were not normally distributed. The findings revealed that the mean learning motivation score increased from 120.07 (SD = 13.59) before the intervention to 123.86 (SD = 13.65) after the intervention. The proportion of students classified in the high motivation category also increased from 75.00% to 82.14%, while no students remained in the low motivation category following the intervention. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test demonstrated a statistically significant difference between pretest and posttest scores (Z = −2.390, p = 0.017), indicating that gamification-based classical guidance services significantly improved students' learning motivation. Improvements were consistently observed across the three motivational dimensions, namely persistence in completing tasks, perseverance in facing learning difficulties, and interest in solving various problems. These findings suggest that integrating game elements such as points, badges, challenges, rewards, and collaborative missions into guidance services creates a more engaging learning environment that strengthens students' intrinsic motivation and active participation. Therefore, gamification represents an effective and innovative strategy for enhancing learning motivation within elementary school guidance and counseling programs