Effectiveness of Group Counseling with Systematic Desensitization Techniques Assisted by Instrumental Music to Reduce Academic Anxiety in Vocational High School Students

Academic anxiety is a common psychological issue faced by vocational high school students, which can affect their performance and well-being. Various approaches have been developed to address this issue, one of which is group counseling that integrates systematic desensitization techniques with instrumental music. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of group counseling using systematic desensitization techniques assisted by instrumental music in reducing academic anxiety among vocational high school students.
This research uses a quantitative type of research with an experimental design. The total population of this study was 95 with a sample of 30 students and sampling of 4 students using a purposive sampling design. The results of the t test analysis show that the sig (2-tailed) value is 0.00, so it is said that the alternative Ha is accepted. Ho is rejected, meaning there is a significant average difference between the pretest learning results with a total of 56.5 and the posttest with a total of 29.25 using group counseling. Systematic desensitization techniques assisted by instrumental music to reduce academic anxiety.
Group counseling with systematic desensitization techniques assisted by instrumental music has proven effective in reducing academic anxiety among vocational high school students. The integration of instrumental music in systematic desensitization techniques can provide additional positive effects that enhance the intervention outcomes. These findings suggest that this approach can be a useful method for addressing academic anxiety among vocational