Emotion-Focused Therapy as a Humanistic Framework for Semi-Military Vocational Education

  • Hasbi Hasbi 
    Polieknik Negeri Padang
    Indonesia
  • Neviyarni Neviyarni
    Universitas Negeri Padang
    Indonesia
  • Netrawati Netrawati
    Universitas Negeri Padang
    Indonesia
  • Rezki Hariko
    Universitas Negeri Padang
    Indonesia

Abstract

Semi-military vocational education is increasingly questioned due to concerns about its impact on students’ autonomy, emotional well-being, and personal development, despite its effectiveness in fostering discipline and order. This conceptual article aims to propose Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) as a humanistic framework to humanize semi-military vocational education without diminishing its disciplinary strengths. Using a critical literature review approach, this study synthesizes theoretical and empirical insights from militaristic education models, humanistic education perspectives, and EFT principles to construct an integrative conceptual framework. The analysis reveals that semi-military educational environments tend to prioritize obedience and control, often at the expense of emotional expression, creativity, and student agency. The findings suggest that integrating EFT principles, such as emotional awareness, empathetic teacher, student relationships, emotional regulation, and supportive authority, can create a more balanced educational climate. This framework positions educators as caring mentors while maintaining structured discipline, thereby promoting resilience, self-awareness, and emotional competence among vocational students. The article concludes that EFT-informed humanistic practices offer a viable and ethical pathway to reform semi-military vocational education, with practical implications for curriculum development, teacher training, and institutional policy.

Keywords
  • Emotion-Focused Therapy
  • Humanistic Education
  • Semi-Military Education
  • Vocational Training
  • Emotional Well-being
Lisensing Information
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite
Hasbi, H., Neviyarni, N., Netrawati, N., & Hariko, R. (2025). Emotion-Focused Therapy as a Humanistic Framework for Semi-Military Vocational Education. Southeast Asian Journal of Technology and Science, 6(2), 50–62. https://doi.org/10.29210/810653600
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX
References
  1. Bear, G. G., Yang, C., & Pasipanodya, E. (2015). Teacher ratings of school discipline practices: How safe and orderly are elementary, middle, and high schools? American Journal of Education, 122**(2), 231–259.
  2. Bagherpour, Z., & Khani Poenak, S. (2025). Effectiveness of emotion-focused education on enhancing academic resilience and self-regulation in adolescent girls. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 12(4), 163–170.
  3. Cassidy, S., Mawdsley, A., Langran, C., Hughes, L., & Willis, S. C. (2023). A large-scale multicenter study of academic resilience and well-being in pharmacy education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 87(2), Article ajpe8998. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8998
  4. Chen, P., & Schmidtke, C. (2017). Humanistic elements in the educational practice at a United States sub-baccalaureate technical college. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 4(2), 117–145. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.4.2.2
  5. Cornelius-White, J. (2007). Learner-centered teacher-student relationships are effective: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 113–143.
  6. Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
  7. Elliott, R., Watson, J. C., Goldman, R. N., & Greenberg, L. S. (2004). Learning emotion-focused therapy: The process-experiential approach to change. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  8. Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, NY: Herder and Herder.
  9. Greenberg, L. S. (2015). Emotion-focused therapy: Coaching clients to work through their feelings (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  10. Greenberg, L. S., & Watson, J. C. (2006). Emotion-Focused Therapy for Depression. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  11. Guo, R., Sun, M., Zhang, C., Fan, Z., Liu, Z., & Tao, H. (2021). The role of military training in improving psychological resilience and reducing depression among college freshmen. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, Article 641396. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641396
  12. Habibi, M. W., & Rijanto, T. (2022). The influence of semi-military education in shaping the discipline of students of the Surabaya Navy Special Vocational School. Syntax Literate: Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia, 7(10), 17497–17504. https://doi.org/10.36418/syntax-literate.v7i10.13127
  13. Johnson, S. M. (2009). The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy: Creating connection (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
  14. Khatib, M., Sarem, S. N., & Hamidi, H. (2013). Humanistic education: Concerns, implications, and applications. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(1), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.4.1.45-51
  15. Lack, B. (2009). No excuses: A critique of the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) within charter schools in the USA. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 7(2), 127–153.
  16. Maslow, A. H. (1971). The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. New York, NY: Viking Press.
  17. Noddings, N. (2005). The challenge to care in schools: An alternative approach to education (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
  18. Okonofua, J. A., Paunesku, D., & Walton, G. M. (2016). Brief intervention to encourage empathic discipline cuts suspension rates in half among adolescents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(19), 5221–5226. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1523698113
  19. Omodan, B. I., & Mtshatsha, N. (2022). Reinventing students’ self-esteem in classrooms: The need for humanistic pedagogy. Journal of Education, Teaching and Learning, 7(2), 111–119. https://doi.org/10.26737/jetl.v7i2.3243
  20. Pos, A. E., & Greenberg, L. S. (2007). Emotion-focused therapy: The transforming power of affect. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 37(1), 25–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-006-9031-z
  21. Rogers, C. R. (1969). Freedom to Learn: A View of What Education Might Become. Columbus, OH: Charles Merrill.
  22. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.
  23. Syarifah, H. N., Musrifah, & Rifan, A. A. (2025). Militarization in childhood education: A critical examination of the semi-military schooling model in West Java. Education: Jurnal Sosial Humaniora dan Pendidikan, 5(2), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.51903/v4keaq51
  24. Tilghman, D. A., & Page, A. S. (2023, November 28). The empathy challenge: Empathy-informed leadership in a doctrine-shaped army. NCO Journal. Retrieved from https://www.armyupress.army.mil/
  25. UNESCO. (2015). Rethinking Education: Towards a Global Common Good? Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
  26. Winarko, B., & Budiwati, N. (2024). Humanistic pedagogy: Approaches to enhancing individual development in modern education. EDUTEC: Journal of Education and Technology, 8(2), 262–271. https://doi.org/10.29062/edu.v8i2.1047
  27. Zamhariri, Z., Putri, S. S. S., & Rabbani, A. N. (2025). Attachment and emotional regulation in a semi-military academy: A case study of homesickness and student adaptation. Proceedings of the International Conference on Psychology and Education (ICPE), 4(1), 176–184.
  28. Bagherpour, Z., & Poenak, S. K. (2025). Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Education on Enhancing Academic Resilience and Self-Regulation in Adolescent Girls. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 12(4), 163–170. https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v12i4.922
  29. Chen, P., & Schmidtke, C. (2017). Humanistic elements in the educational practice at a United States sub-baccalaureate technical college. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 4(2), 117–145. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.4.2.2
  30. Guo, R., Sun, M., Zhang, C., Fan, Z., Liu, Z., & Tao, H. (2021). The Role of Military Training in Improving Psychological Resilience and Reducing Depression Among College Freshmen. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12(May), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641396
  31. Mohammad Wildan Habibi, & Rijanto, T. (2022). The influence of semi-military education in shaping the discipline of students of the surabaya navy special vocational school. Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia, 2(8.5.2017), 2003–2005. https://doi.org/10.36418/syntax-literate.v7i10.13127
  32. Okonofua, J. A., Paunesku, D., & Walton, G. M. (2016). Brief intervention to encourage empathic discipline cuts suspension rates in half among adolescents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(19), 5221–5226. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1523698113
  33. S., C. S. M. D. A., & Page, T. & C. (Captain) A. S. (2023). The Empathy Challenge Empathy-Informed Leadership in a Doctrine-Shaped Army. NCO Journal, November 2023, 1–6. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/
  34. Syarifah, H. N., Musrifah, & Rifan, A. A. (2025). Militarization in Childhood Education: A Critical Examination of the Semi-Military Schooling Model in West Java. Education : Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Dan Pendidikan, 5(2), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.51903/v4keaq51

Downloads

PDF

Statistic

Abstract Views
: 63 times
PDF
: 15 times