A Case Study on Low Learning Motivation Among 10th-Grade Culinary Students at SMK Z Surabaya

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the psychological dynamics underlying low learning motivation in a 16-year-old female student, identified by the initials VPM, who was enrolled in Grade 10 Culinary 2 at SMK Z Surabaya, and to evaluate the outcome of an individual counseling intervention. This study employed a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observation, psychological assessment, a learning motivation scale, and academic documentation. The psychological assessment included the Intelligence Structure Test (IST), Sixteen Personality Factors (16PF), Family Sentence Completion Test (FSCT), Draw-A-Person (DAP), Baum Test, and House-Tree-Person (HTP). The findings indicated that VPM’s low learning motivation was characterized by avoidance of difficult subjects, inconsistent learning effort, low persistence, distractibility, limited classroom participation, and unstructured independent study habits. Although her learning motivation scale score was classified as moderate, behavioral observations indicated that motivation was not consistently translated into academic engagement. VPM’s intellectual functioning was within the normal range, with relatively stronger memory and visuospatial abilities but comparatively lower verbal and numerical abilities. The case formulation indicated that low learning motivation resulted from the interaction of cognitive vulnerabilities, self-doubt, anxiety, unpleasant learning experiences, avoidance behaviors, and environmental factors. Individual counseling using a Cognitive Behavioral Counseling (CBC) approach and cognitive restructuring was implemented in five sessions. The intervention resulted in improvements across all assessed dimensions of learning motivation, with task choice increasing from 6 to 8, effort from 13 to 18, and persistence from 17 to 22. Behavioral improvements were also observed in study regularity, task completion, willingness to face difficult subjects, and development of a structured study plan. These findings suggest that cognitive restructuring-based individual counseling may be a useful approach for strengthening learning motivation and promoting more adaptive academic behaviors among vocational students.