The Effect of Joyful Learning and Teams Games Tournament Learning on Motivation among Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

This study examines the effect of Joyful Learning and the Teams Games Tournament learning model on the learning motivation of students with intellectual disabilities at SLBN 1 Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The study responds to a classroom problem in which students showed low participation, limited task completion, passive classroom behavior, and declining attendance. A quantitative explanatory design was applied with a total sample of 20 students. Parents assisted students during questionnaire completion to support comprehension and response accuracy. Data were collected through observation and Likert-scale questionnaires, then analyzed using validity testing, reliability testing, classical assumption testing, multiple linear regression, t-tests, F-test, and coefficient of determination analysis with SPSS 26. The results show that Joyful Learning has a positive and significant effect on learning motivation (B = 0.620, beta = 0.478, t = 2.972, p = 0.009). The Teams Games Tournament model also has a positive and significant effect (B = 0.482, beta = 0.467, t = 2.902, p = 0.010). Simultaneously, both predictors significantly explain learning motivation (F = 16.376, p < 0.001), with R2 = 0.658 and adjusted R2 = 0.618. These findings indicate that emotionally supportive and game-based cooperative learning can strengthen motivation in special education settings when teachers structure activities clearly and adapt them to students needs.