The Effectiveness of Implementing the Role-Playing Technique through Group Counseling to Improve Junior High School Students’ Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of implementing the role-playing technique through group counseling in improving the emotional intelligence of students in Class VIII E at UPTD SMPN 16 Kupang in the 2025/2026 academic year. This study employed a quantitative approach with a pre-experimental design using a one-group pretest-posttest design. The study population consisted of 27 students in Class VIII E at UPTD SMPN 16 Kupang. The research sample comprised 8 students with low levels of emotional intelligence, selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using an emotional intelligence questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using a paired-samples t-test with the assistance of SPSS version 22. The results showed that, before the intervention, the students' total emotional intelligence score was 737. Following the intervention involving the implementation of the role-playing technique through group counseling, the total score increased from 737 to 1,185, representing an increase of 448 points. Therefore, the implementation of the role-playing technique through group counseling was found to be effective in improving the emotional intelligence of students in Class VIII E at UPTD SMPN 16 Kupang in the 2025/2026 academic year.