The Role of Full-Day Schooling in Improving the Academic Achievement of SMP IT Nurul Fikri Selong Students

Abstract

This study aims to (1) describe the implementation of full day school at SMP IT Nurul Fikri Selong, (2) analyze its role in improving student learning achievement, and (3) identify the supporting and inhibiting factors of its implementation. A qualitative case study approach was employed. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the principal, teachers, and students, supported by field observation and documentation, and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman (1992), covering data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that full day school at SMP IT Nurul Fikri Selong is not merely an extension of school hours but is structured to support academic learning, religious habituation, character formation through teacher exemplary behavior, talent development, and dedicated coaching for high-achieving students. This role is reflected in improved literacy and numeracy outcomes and student achievements in provincial-level science competitions. The main supporting factor is institutional commitment and teacher exemplarity, while the main constraints relate to student fatigue in the afternoon A decline in concentration following participation in various activities, alongside the need for adjustment among new students who were previously unaccustomed to a full-day learning system and the adaptation process for new students. The novelty of this study lies in the finding that the effectiveness of full day school is determined more by the quality of time management and variation in teaching methods than by the duration of instruction alone, thereby reinforcing and extending Time on Task Theory and Carroll's (1963) Model of School Learning within the context of integrated Islamic schools in Indonesia.