The Effectiveness of Dhikr Relaxation Therapy in Reducing Level of Academic Stress Among Students in The First Academic Semester of The Islamic Guidance Study Program

Abstract

This study was motivated by the researcher’s attention to first-semester students who are prone to experiencing academic stress. This is due to changes in learning patterns from school to college, including differences in the difficulty level of assignments, adapting to new environments, and speaking in front of the class during presentations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of dhikr relaxation therapy in reducing academic stress among students of the Islamic Counseling Guidance study program. The research approach used in this study is quantitative. Data collection was conducted using questionnaires and documentation methods. The research was conducted at the Islamic Counseling Guidance Study Program, Faculty of Da’wah and Communication Sciences, Mataram State Islamic University. The population of this study comprised 159 students who were enrolled in the study program. The sample for this study was randomly selected, consisting of 80 individuals, which represents 50% of the total population. The results of data processing in this study indicate a strong positive relationship between the variable of dhikr relaxation and the variable of academic stress among students, with an r-value of 0.799. The R Square (correlation coefficient) of 75.8% shows the contribution of dhikr relaxation in reducing academic stress. The F test conducted using SPSS shows that dhikr relaxation has a significant effect in reducing student academic stress, with a calculated F value of 43.540, exceeding the tabulated F value of 3.96. The significance probability (Sig.) is 0.00, which is less than the significance level (α) of 0.05. Therefore, the researchers concluded that dhikr relaxation plays an effective role in reducing academic stress among students.