There are two sub-themes in the main theme of communication mechanisms: how students communicate with their parents and the communication devices students use to contact their parents.

How students communicate with their parents. Cendekia Baznas Middle School students have five ways to communicate with their parents: telephone, video call, WhatsApp chat, letters, and visits. The most frequently used method of communication by students is the telephone because it is the primary method provided by the school for students who want to communicate with their parents at home.

“Usually, I call because the schedule has been set. So thank God I got the schedule.” (Muhammad)

The communication method by video call only occurs when students are not visited by their parents.

“For video calls, there is a program at the beginning of the month in Java, in Jabodetabek, which allows parents to come here to visit their children. Now, for those outside Java who are not visited, who usually call using a Nokia cellphone, if it is Sunday, for example, Sunday is a visit, it means that the schedule for calling on the day that is not visited, calls using a video call, not using a Nokia cellphone. So it is like a balance; you can still see your parents.” (Hanif).

Meanwhile, the method of communicating using WhatsApp chat is used by students when they need to communicate with their parents outside of the communication time provided by the school so that students contact their parents via the dormitory supervisor's cell phone or via the cell phone of the parents of fellow students who are visiting their children.

“... Then, for example, if a friend's mother comes to deliver things, usually I will chat (with her phone), then sometimes, if I am not visiting, I will video call or chat too.” (Zahra)

Letters are used when students want to communicate with parents outside the specified communication time. The process begins with students writing a letter containing information they want to convey to their parents. The letter is then submitted to the dormitory supervisor, who photographs it and sends it to the parents via WhatsApp.

“… And at most send a message, through the female teacher, send a letter, if it is not her schedule

to call, then send a letter to the female teacher.” (Rahmi).

Visiting is the only primary way of communication or communication that is done face to face without going through an intermediary media. Visiting has the school's schedule, and visiting is intended mainly for students from Java, especially from areas not too far from the school, such as Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, and Bandung.

“Yes, with this visitation, once a month. If there is a chance, mother will visit during the holidays. If not, then no.” (Farhan)

At Cendekia Baznas school, students can communicate with their parents via telephone, chat, video call, and visits. This method of communication is commonly found in other boarding schools, such as in the study by (Sholihah et al., 2019), which stated that communication between parents and boarding school students can be done during the return schedule, visiting time, or telephone and SMS via dormitory mobile phones. Uniquely at Cendekia Baznas school, there is a communication mechanism specifically created to accommodate the communication needs of students from various regions in Indonesia namely once a month, when students from Java can be visited by their parents, students from outside Java are allowed to make video calls with their parents at home.

Students use communication devices to contact their parents. The school provides two communication devices: non-android mobile phones and Android mobile phones. Non-android mobile phones are used for telephone calls, while Android mobile phones are used only for video calls. Non-Android mobile phones are the primary devices for student' communication with their parents. However, for 7th-grade students, Android phones are the primary device used in the first year of students at school. In subsequent years, Android phones can only be used during video call schedules.

“When I was in 7th grade, I still used a cellphone like this (android). The maximum Android could make calls was up to 30 minutes. But now that I am in 8th grade, it is a Nokia cellphone.” (Bani)

Communication technology in the form of mobile phones allows students to communicate remotely with their parents through voice and video calls. This technological advancement makes it easier for students to maintain relationships with their parents, primarily through social media such as WhatsApp, which has a video call feature, allowing students to chat and see their parents' faces in real time. (Istiqomah et al., 2021) stated that the current social media makes it easy for parents to stay in touch with their children. With the communication device facilities provided by the school and current technological advances, students who attend boarding schools can still communicate with their parents even though they are separated by distance.

Exploration of communication schedule and duration produced two sub-themes: communication schedule and communication duration.

Communication schedule. The telephone communication schedule is set weekly, every Saturday or Sunday in the first to third week of each month. Telephone calls can be made from

12.00 to 21.00 on Saturdays and from 08.00 to 21.00 on Sundays. Meanwhile, the visiting schedule

and video calls are carried out simultaneously once a month.

“From Saturday, from 12 to 9 pm. Then Sunday from 8 am to 9 pm.” (Fiqri) “I only visit once a month...” (Daffa)

Duration of communication. The duration of telephone communication depends on the device used. The duration of telephone calls with non-android mobile phones ranges from 20-30 minutes, but most respondents (n=9) said a maximum of 20 minutes. Meanwhile, video calls with Android mobile phones can last 15, 30, and 40 minutes. The duration of visits varies; some students are visited by parents starting at 08.00-16.00, 09.00-16.00 and 12.00-16.00.

“Because the time given is usually 20 minutes. If it is a visit (video call), it can usually take more than 40 minutes because the person being visited is not allowed to call again. Because they have been visited.” (Fiqri)

“Usually, if you visit here, it is from nine o'clock until after Dzuhur or not until before Asr or after Asr. If you visit with your brother, it is from nine o'clock until two o'clock ...” (Zahra).

Students at the dhuafa boarding school cannot constantly interact directly with their parents, but they still have the opportunity to communicate at times determined by the school. Research conducted by (Afifah & Rachmiatie, 2024) explains that the distance between parents and children does not hinder effective communication as long as the communication schedule is organized regularly and consistently.

There is a difference in the duration of communication between users of non-Android mobile phones and Android mobile phones. Communication via non-android mobile phones is scheduled for all students, while communication using Android mobile phones is only for students whose parents do not visit them, so the number of Android phone users is fewer than that of non-Android phone users. Additionally, the duration of visits varies depending on the distance each parent must travel to reach the school.

The exploration results of the communication barriers theme identified six sub-themes: signal issues, financial constraints, privacy, time limitations, misalignment between student and parent schedules, and barriers from parents.

Signal Issues. The communication barrier most often mentioned by students was signal issues (n=5). These signal problems occurred not only for students from outside Java but also for students from Java. Signal issues caused communication to be disrupted, and in some cases, students were unable to communicate with their parents at all.

"The biggest problem is the network. It is hard to get a connection here. So, my mom’s voice keeps cutting off." (Anissa)

"He is from Papua, and even every week, he could not make a call because of poor signal or the provider’s signal not working, and the signal kept disconnecting. So, he could not connect, and it took a few weeks to get through finally." (Bani)

Financial Constraints. Financial constraints became one of the barriers to communication between parents and students. Among the financial issues raised by students was that their parents

did not have enough money to buy phone credit to make calls or visit the students. As a result, students sometimes could not communicate with their parents due to these limitations.

“For example, there was a time when there was no credit. At that time, my mother did not have any credit. Then I tried writing a letter, and when I asked, 'Why did you not call?' she said, 'I have not bought credit yet.' Oh, it is okay, she said 'we will talk next week.” (Daffa)

“My mother also cannot come here because she does not have the money.” (Anissa)

Privacy Issues. Another barrier mentioned by the respondents was the lack of privacy and the presence of distractions from the surrounding environment. This caused communication to become uncomfortable, non-conducive, and unable to proceed optimally.

“When I talk to my parents, friends are around, and it feels like it is not a private conversation. We want to talk privately with our parents, but suddenly, a friend shows up, and it is so awkward that I end up not talking. I will just tell them next week if I remember.” (Ami). “Another barrier, aside from the signal, is my sibling. When I am talking, they can be disruptive.” (Dewi)

Time Limitations. Time limitations also became a barrier mentioned by the respondents. They felt that the duration of time that was set was not enough for them to communicate optimally with their parents.

“When using communication tools like a mobile phone, there is a time limitation, according to the rules here at SCB.” (Bani)

Misalignment of Communication Schedule. There was also a barrier related to the misalignment of communication schedules between parents and students. This was caused by the students' busy activities or their parents' work schedules extending late into the night, making the predetermined communication schedules challenging to utilize fully.

“Sometimes, we cannot make a call because there is an event, like a competition or something outside.” (Ami)

“Also, my mom has not come home from work yet. Sometimes, she gets home later.” (Farhan)

Parental Barriers. Respondents also mentioned that sometimes parents forget or are late in making calls, so communication time becomes very limited. Parents sometimes do not pay attention to the schedule provided by the dormitory supervisors, meaning the communication time has passed, and the students cannot communicate with their parents during that week.

“Usually, with a Nokia phone, it is not us who call; it is the parents who call. So sometimes, if they forget, the parents do not get to make the call.” (Daffa)

“Ustadzah (The supervisor) applies a rule that the calling time should not be 20 minutes. But, for example, my time is from 4 to 4:20. Then my mom calls at 4:15, so the time is only 5 minutes.” (Aisyah)

“Usually, we get a schedule, right? Before calling. But usually, the parents have not checked it. They have not checked what time it is.” (Arina)

Communication Barriers Faced by Students at Dhuafa Boarding School. Most communication barriers faced by students at the dhuafa boarding school (n=5) were related to signal issues. In locations with limited internet access, communication barriers in the form of poor signals frequently occur (Nurhaliza et al., 2023). In addition, respondents also revealed financial constraints and misalignment of communication schedules between students and their parents. Similar barriers were found in research by (Afifah & Rachmiatie, 2024), which stated that unstable signals, differing busyness, and time differences between parents and children often hinder long-distance communication with intermediary media. This finding is also consistent with the research by (Putri et al., 2024), which identified that long-distance communication barriers typically involve signal disturbances and financial limitations related to credit and internet quota costs.

The exploration results regarding respondents' perceptions of the relationship between parent-student communication and academic achievement produced two sub-themes: 1) parent-student communication at Dhuafa Boarding School is related to academic achievement, and 2) there is no relationship between parent-student communication at Dhuafa Boarding School and academic achievement.

Parent-Student Communication at Dhuafa Boarding School is Related to Academic Achievement. Respondents who stated that communication with their parents is related to the academic achievements they achieve explained that during communication, their parents provide motivation and encouragement to study (n=7), urge them to achieve good results (n=3), offer spiritual support through prayers (n=3), provide prayers to help them achieve success (n=1), give moral support (n=1), and help students feel calm and relieved after communicating with their parents, which enables them to focus more on their studies at school (n=2).

“Because every phone call, sometimes the child at the boarding school feels bored, tired, or lacks motivation. Because they see the same environment every day, it becomes boring. So, usually, every time they call, parents give advice or motivation like, 'Stay motivated in your studies,' 'Just enjoy the learning process, and later you will reap the rewards.' So, what the parents say usually drives the child to be more diligent and enthusiastic in studying.” (Fiqri).

“Usually, when I get bored here, I am encouraged and prayed for, which adds motivation to achieve success here.” (Fajri)

“Before every exam, I always ask for my parents' prayers, and Alhamdulillah, every exam, the results are always good, and I believe it is truly help from Allah and definitely also from my parents' prayers.” (Hanif).

“There are times when my grades drop, and I feel sad, but my parents always say, 'It is okay if your grades drop, as long as it is your own effort, and you did not cheat.' My dad always reminds me, 'It is okay if your grades drop. The important thing is your manners and character. I put you in this school for that, not because I want you to win trophies or awards, but because it is just a bonus. The most important thing is your manners and character. If you come home and do not bring that, I will be upset, even if you only bring awards. I will only be happy for a moment.' That is what he says. So, trophies and awards are just bonuses. What is important is to have good manners and character.” (Anissa)

“It does have an impact because sometimes I get worried. How is my mom at home? How is my

younger sibling? Sometimes I feel uneasy. So, when I get a phone call, I feel calm, and when school starts on Monday, I feel relieved again.” (Muhammad)

No Relationship Between Parent-Student Communication at Dhuafa Boarding School and Academic Achievement. One respondent stated that they did not feel any relationship between communication with their parents and their academic achievement at school. However, the respondent did not provide a reason for making this statement.

“Hmm … There is none.” (Aisyah).

The findings regarding the relationship between parent-student communication and academic achievement in this study support the results of the systematic review by (Asiyah & Safrudin, 2020), which states that positive communication between parents and children can enhance the child's academic performance. On the other hand, poor communication patterns can result in a decline in academic performance. In this study, the positive communication students perceive about academic achievement includes motivation to excel, spiritual support, and encouragement to study from their parents. This finding indicates that parents who provide motivation, attention, and support create a positive relationship between their communication and the student's academic performance. This is also in line with the research by (Mustika & Rakhmad, 2020), which states that parental communication in support, attention, and advice can increase students' motivation in their education, ultimately impacting their academic achievement.

However, perceptions regarding the lack of a relationship between parent-student communication and academic achievement were also found in this study. Although the respondent did not provide the reason behind their perception, based on the findings in the communication barriers theme, the respondent mentioned that sometimes parents were late in calling compared to the scheduled time, which limited the communication duration. This may impact the quality of communication between the parents and the student, which might have led to the perception that there was no connection between parent communication and academic achievement. This perception is likely a result of the less-than-optimal quantity of communication and the lateness of the parents' calls, which may also indicate a lack of attention to the child. As a result, the respondent felt that the communication did not significantly impact their academic performance.

The lack of communication duration and the minimal attention perceived from parents make students feel that they do not receive enough motivation or encouragement to study, leading them to believe that communication with their parents is not related to their academic success. (Rini et al., 2020) state that parental attention to children can contribute to the child's success in academic achievement. Parents who show attention by encouraging their children to study can maintain the child's enthusiasm to improve academic performance. This is supported by (Astuti & Handayani, 2017), who reveal that parental attention is an external stimulus that can influence students' academic achievement. Thus, insufficient communication duration and low parental attention can weaken the positive potential of communication in influencing students' academic achievement.

The positive communication and academic achievement findings were observed in both male and female students. Both male and female students received positive communication from their parents, including motivation and prayers for success in school, leading both male and female students to feel a connection between parent communication and academic performance. One male student and one female student also reported feeling relief after communicating with

their parents, which they considered related to their academic achievement. This shows that male and female students received the same treatment from their parents. Moral support was only found among female students, which may be because female students are considered to be more emotionally sensitive than male students. As a result, parents provide moral support to ensure that their daughters do not feel discouraged when their academic performance declines. According to the study by (Khusnia et al., 2023), it was found that female children have a higher level of emotional sensitivity compared to male children, making them more sensitive to events related to their feelings. Although only female students stated that there was no relationship between parent communication and academic achievement, this was also attributed to insufficient communication time between the parents and students.

The findings of this study have implications for schools, parents, and policymakers in improving the quality and quantity of parent-student communication at the Dhuafa Boarding School. Schools must provide sufficient communication time so students can communicate with their parents without being rushed. Parents are expected to improve the quality of communication by paying attention and supporting their children during communication. Meanwhile, policymakers should focus on improving communication access and technological infrastructure in areas with poor signal coverage, providing communication subsidies for dhuafa families who send their children to boarding schools, and developing educational programs for parents to build positive communication with their children. Implementing these findings is expected to improve the academic achievement of dhuafa students at the boarding school.

A limitation of this study is that the findings cannot be generalized to all dhuafa students in other boarding schools, as this is a qualitative study. The exploration of information is still limited because the research sample consisted only of students, so future research should also consider the perspective of parents. This study only examined the relationship between parent communication and dhuafa students attending boarding schools, so future research should compare the relationship between parent communication and dhuafa students in boarding schools with those attending regular schools.