<![CDATA[Female students negotiate visual identities within the school environment, influenced by image-centric social media. As a result, it is important to consider how making use of cosmetics as a form of self-expression impacts adolescent girls’ academic motivation. Previous studies have neglected to identify the use of spiritual mechanisms to alleviate body image pressure. There is a clear gap in the literature in this respect. This study examines the role of self-image, the use of cosmetics, and Islamic-based self-compassion in understanding learning motivation, through the lens of body image. This study has employed a qualitative phenomenological approach to investigate the learning motivation of fifteen female students, as defined by the criteria of SMK Muhammadiyah 10 Masaran. Primary data were collected through individual in-depth interviews, class observations, and focus group discussions. The data were subsequently analyzed using the Miles and Huberman, three-step, data analysis framework. The results show that the students of the study had a self-imposed, cosmetic ‘polarization’ of emotional learning aids, which supported learning. Students who combined Islamic self-compassion with the Islamic spiritual values of gratitude, qanaah, and ikhlas, had high psychological resilience and motivational stability. On the other hand, the use of cosmetics framed by social anxiety, described by students as social ‘defensive,’ caused cognitive overload and academic burnout. Consequently, this study attempts to redefine the school guidance and counseling teachers’ roles, i.e., providing a more dynamic response to the students’ psychosocial complexities.]]>
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