Pengaruh Durasi Istirahat Belajar terhadap Performa Kognitif Siswa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37481/jmh.v6i3.2159Keywords:
Study Break Duration, Cognitive Performance, Working Memory, Cognitive Load, High School StudentAbstract
This study aims to determine the effect of study break duration on students’ cognitive performance, specifically on their working memory capacity. This study employed a Between-Subjects Post-test Only experimental design based on the MAXMINCON (Maximize The Effect of Systematic Variance) principle. A total of 33 tenth-grade students from SMKN 20 Jakarta were selected using simple random sampling and randomly assigned to three groups, each receiving a different rest duration: 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 15 minutes. In the classroom, participants memorized a series of numbers from the Digit Span Test, followed by a predetermined rest period. During this time, students were allowed to sleep or chat but were strictly prohibited from using smartphones or leaving the classroom to buy snacks. After the break ended, they were asked to recall and write down the numbers they had memorized, then fill out a questionnaire via Google Forms. The data were analyzed using an ANOVA test, followed by a Games-Howell test. The results of the analysis using Welch’s ANOVA showed that the duration of breaks during learning significantly affected students’ cognitive performance (F = 18.7, p < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis using the Games-Howell test revealed no significant difference in working memory capacity between the 5-minute break group (M = 16.8) and the 10-minute break group (M = 15.9) (p = 0.97). In contrast, students with a 15-minute break duration demonstrated significantly higher cognitive performance (M = 32.5) compared to the two groups with shorter breaks, with their average scores nearly doubling. This study concludes that a break duration of at least 15 minutes is necessary for cognitive recovery and to effectively reduce academic cognitive load.
References
Ahmed, S. F., Ellis, A., Ward, K. P., Chaku, N., & Davis-kean, P. E. (2022). Developmental Psychology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1201/9781315380797
Andersen, M. S., & Makransky, G. (2021). The Validation and Further Development of the Multidimensional Cognitive Load Scale for Physical and Online Lectures ( MCLS-POL ). 12(March), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.642084
Ariga, A., & Lleras, A. (2011). Brief and rare mental "breaks" keep you focused: Deactivation and reactivation of task goals preempt vigilance decrements. Cognition, 118(3), 439–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2010.12.007
Barbic, F., Minonzio, M., Cairo, B., Shiffer, D., Cerina, L., Verzeletti, P., Badilini, F., Vaglio, M., Porta, A., Santambrogio, M., Gatti, R., Rigo, S., Bisoglio, A., & Furlan, R. (2022). Effects of a cool classroom microclimate on cardiac autonomic control and cognitive performances in undergraduate students. Science of the Total Environment, 808, 152005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152005
Carpenter, S. K., Pan, S. C., & Butler, A. C. (2022). The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1, 496–511. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00089-1
Dewar, M., Alber, J., Butler, C., Cowan, N., & Della Sala, S. (2012). Brief Wakeful Resting Boosts New Memories Over the Long Term. Psychological Science, 23(9), 955–960. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612441220
Ginns, P., Muscat, K., Naylor, R., Ginns, P., Muscat, K., & Naylor, R. (2023). Rest breaks aid directed attention and learning Rest breaks aid directed attention and learning. Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 40(2), 141–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/20590776.2023.2225700
Hamilton, K. L., & Stachowski, A. A. (2025). Should I Study or Take a Break ? Students’ Use and Perceptions of Study Breaks. 25(2), 133–154.
Kestens, K., Degeest, S., Miatton, M., Keppler, H., Ferguson, M., & Vergara, R. C. (2021). Visual and Verbal Working Memory and Processing Speed Across the Adult Lifespan : The Effect of Age, Sex, Educational Level, Awakeness, and Hearing Sensitivity. 12(October). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.668828
Kornmeier, J., Sosic-Vasic, Z., & Joos, E. (2022). Spacing learning units affects both learning and forgetting. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 26, 100173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2022.100173
Kusumawati Hidayat, I. (2022). Teachers’ and Parents’ Viewpoints of Game-Based Learning: An Exploratory Study. KnE Social Sciences, 77–84. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v7i13.11647
Lindner, C. Gabriel N., Lukas R., & Steffen Z. (2024). Investigating the Impact of Perceived Mental Fatigue on Sustained Attention Performance: A Latent Growth Curve Analysis Taking Social Desirability Into Account. 1–27. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5688-3146.
Manafe, Y. Y. Z., Boesday, L. F., & Radja, A. K. (2025). Perceived Cognitive Load in Learning Contexts: A Likert Scale Questionnaire-Based Study. International Journal of Social Science Research and Review, 8(9), 368–376. https://doi.org/10.47814/ijssrr.v8i9.2915
Nakano, T., Kato, M., Morito, Y., Itoi, S., & Kitazawa, S. (2023). Blink-related momentary activation of the default mode network while viewing videos. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110(2), 702–706. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1214804110
Perdana, A. Mutiara, T., & Yuliana, I.,L. (2026). Analysis of Learning Concentration Difficulties in Students in the Digital Era : A Case Study Based on Gestalt Theory Analisis Kesulitan Konsentrasi Belajar pada Siswa di Era Digital : Studi Kasus Berdasarkan Teori Gestalt pembelajaran di pendidikan menen. 3(6), 105–110.
Putri, R. N., Efandi, S., Khairunisa, D., Rahman, A., & Wahyuni, R. (2023). Melacak keberhasilan dan tantangan dalam mencapai flow akademik: Sebuah tinjauan komprehensif. Behavioral Science Journal, 1(2), 10–18.
Sharpe, B. T., Trotter, M. G., & Hale, B. J. (2025). Sustaining student concentration: the effectiveness of micro-breaks in a classroom setting. Frontiers in Psychology, 16(August 2012). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1589411
Tabatabaee, S. S., Jambarsang, S., & Keshmiri, F. (2024). Cognitive load theory in workplace-based learning from the viewpoint of nursing students: application of a path analysis. BMC Medical Education, 24(1), 1–8.
Zulfah, S. A., & Mukhoiyaroh, M. (2022). Penerapan Teori Pemrosesan Informasi Robert M. Gagne pada Pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam di SDI Al-Mubarok Surabaya. Edudeena : Journal of Islamic Religious Education, 6(2), 144–157.
