International Journal of Islamic Educational Psychology
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2025): December

The Relationship Between Self-Control and Multidimensional Student Engagement in Learning Among Junior High School Students

Hadis, Nur Athirah (Unknown)
Akmal, Nur (Unknown)
Rasyid, Nurfajriyanti (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
27 Dec 2025

Abstract

Low student engagement in learning remains a serious problem in junior high school education, particularly in Indonesia. Initial survey data from 36 students showed that 52.7% had skipped school without permission, 50% were frequently late, and 75% felt unmotivated to learn. This condition underscores the importance of research on psychological factors that contribute to increased student engagement. This study aims to examine the relationship between self-control and student engagement, which includes four dimensions: agentic, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive, based on the framework proposed by Fredricks et al. (2004) and further developed by Reeve and Tseng (2011). The method employed was a quantitative correlational design, with 207 students aged 12–16 years selected through convenience sampling. The instruments used were the Student Engagement Scale (20 items, ω = .876) and the Self-Control Scale (20 items, ω = .844). Analysis using Pearson's Product-Moment correlation showed a significant positive relationship between self-control and student learning engagement (r = 0.466, p < 0.001). The highest correlation was found in the behavioral dimension, followed by emotional, cognitive, and agentic dimensions. Additional analysis revealed differences based on gender and grade level: female and seventh-grade students had higher self-control and learning engagement than male and eighth-grade students. The novelty of this study lies in testing a multidimensional model of student engagement simultaneously, with self-control as the primary predictor, in the context of Indonesian junior high school students. This topic has been rarely researched. Practically, the results of this study recommend implementing self-control training through character-based activities and self-reflection in school, as well as consistent parenting support at home, to continually increase student learning engagement.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijiep

Publisher

Subject

Religion Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences Other

Description

International Journal of Islamic Educational Psychology (IJIEP) is an open-access publication, published by Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. IJIEP provides an international forum for the discussion and rapid dissemination of research findings in psychological aspects of education ranging from ...