Bringing Magic into the Classroom: Enhancing Students’ Motivation through Harry Potter Movies as Learning Media in EFL Class

Syahid Abdulloh (Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia)

Edusia: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Asia
Vol. 6 No. 01 (2026): Equity, Values, and Innovation in Contemporary Indonesian Learning Environment

Conventional instructional methods often fail to sustain student engagement in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, leading to passivity and low motivation. Addressing this pedagogical gap, this study investigates the efficacy of using Harry Pottermovies to enhance learning motivation. The film was specifically selected for its rich narrative context and authentic linguistic input, aiming to scaffold student understanding and trigger "ego-involvement" as proposed by motivation theory. Employing a two-cycle Classroom Action Research (CAR) design, the study involved 36 Grade X students in Grobogan Regency, utilizing observation checklists and questionnaires as primary instruments. The findings reveal a significant upward trajectory in student motivation, with the average score rising from 71.1% in Cycle I to 81.1% in Cycle II. Crucially, the intervention successfully transformed the classroom dynamic from passive viewing to active verbal participation. This research contributes to EFL pedagogy by demonstrating that high-interest pop culture materials, when integrated with structured tasks, can effectively override linguistic barriers and reduce learning anxiety. The study implies that visual scaffolding is essential for transforming entertainment media into active learning tools in the language classroom.