Analysis of the Dimensions of Students’ Motivation to Learn Biology in 3T Areas (A Study at SMA Negeri 1 Lahewa)

Abstract

Student motivation in biology classes is often assumed to be consistently high, even though this ideal condition has not yet been fully achieved, particularly in schools in island regions with limited resources and support for independent study at home, as is the case at SMA Negeri 1 Lahewa in North Nias Regency. This study aims to analyze the levels of learning motivation among 10th and 11th-grade students in Biology classes at that school, examined from the dimensions of internal and external motivation. The study employed a quantitative descriptive design involving 66 students selected through purposive sampling from a population of 586 students. Data were collected via a Guttman-scaled questionnaire containing 20 statements, distributed online through Google Forms. The data were analyzed descriptively by categorizing respondents’ total scores into five levels of motivation. The results indicate that students’ learning motivation generally falls into the high category, with very high scores in perseverance, discipline, and the desire to achieve, but still low scores in the habit of independent learning at home and the initiative to seek additional learning resources. These findings indicate that students’ motivation is supported more by school structure and supervision than by internalized independent learning; therefore, strengthening independent learning at home is a key priority for the development of future biology learning strategies.