How to Improve the Self-Esteem of Minangkabau Teenagers Through Agentic Group Guidance?

Abstract

Self-esteem is now a global psychological issue that influences mental well-being, achievement, and social relationships. However, research linking self-esteem development to a culture-based counseling approach remains limited, especially in the Minangkabau context, which is rich in values of togetherness and independence. This type of research is a quantitative quasi-experimental method with a non-equivalent design. The subjects of this study were 20 students of Batipuh 1 State Senior High School. The research instrument was a self-esteem checklist developed using a Likert scale. Data were analyzed using the N-Gain test, the Wilcoxon test, and the Mann-Whitney test . The results showed that the Agentic group guidance service in the experimental group was "quite effective" in increasing students' self-esteem with an N-Gain of 57.5 while the control group was 32.3. The Mann-Whitney test produced p = 0.001 (<0.005). This research is novel in integrating Bandura's socio-cognitive theory of agentic behavior with Minangkabau cultural values, resulting in a contextual and culturally sensitive agentic group guidance model. This model has the potential to be an effective framework for developing culture-based counseling interventions in a multicultural society.

Keywords: sociocognitive, deliberation, reflective dialogue, significance, virtue