Analysis of Learning Problems among Grade XI D Students at Santo Arnoldus Janssen Senior High School Kupang: A Qualitative Interview Study

Abstract

Learning problems hinder students' outcomes, yet screening instruments rarely show how students experience them. A needs assessment (AKPD) in Grade XI D of Santo Arnoldus Janssen Senior High School Kupang identified learning as the dominant problem area (29%). This descriptive qualitative study analyzed the forms, causes, and effects of these problems. Data came from written interviews with ten students and oral interviews with the guidance and counseling (BK) teacher and the homeroom teacher, analyzed thematically with source triangulation. The results showed six themes: difficulty with language and calculation subjects (all ten students), classroom noise and fatigue disrupting concentration (seven), goal-oriented but unstable motivation, inconsistent study habits, uneven teaching delivery, and limited help-seeking (five never told anyone). Some students reported lower grades and confidence. Students emphasized classroom conditions, whereas teachers emphasized discipline and mobile-phone use. Learning problems in this class are multifactorial, rooted in the learning environment as well as in students. Guidance services should combine study-skills training with collaboration among the BK, homeroom, and subject teachers, and with counseling that students find easy to approach.