The Use of Media in Group Counseling to Boost High School Students’ Self-Confidence: A Systematic Literature Review

Self-confidence is an important aspect of the personal and social development of senior high school students, yet research on the use of media in group guidance remains scattered and rarely examines the psychological processes behind its effects. This study aimed to synthesize the types and applications of media, their outcomes on students' self-confidence, and the strengths and limitations of their implementation, and to interpret the findings using social cognitive and group dynamics theory. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following PRISMA 2020. Literature published between 2017 and 2026 was searched through Google Scholar and Garuda using the SPIDER framework. Of 1,994 records identified, 1,990 were screened after removing duplicates, 35 full-text articles were assessed, and 10 studies were included. Methodological quality was appraised using the JBI checklist for quasi-experimental studies, and data were analyzed using descriptive-narrative synthesis. Four media groups were identified: board/card games, affirmation cards, audiovisual media, and a combination of games and film. All studies reported positive changes in self-confidence; however, the evidence is limited by small samples, the absence of control groups, and varied methodological quality (1/6 to 5/6 JBI items met). Interpretively, media appear to act as stimuli whose influence depends on facilitation, peer interaction, and reflection, although the contribution of each component could not be separated. Limitations include the use of two databases, narrative synthesis without pooled effect sizes, and the interpretive nature of the proposed mechanisms.