Strengthening Elementary Students' Character through Social Emotional Learning in Digital Classrooms

Abstract

Character education has become increasingly important in addressing the social and emotional challenges experienced by elementary school students in digital classrooms. This study aims to explore the implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in strengthening elementary students’ character at SDN 42 Palembang, Indonesia. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed involving six teachers as key informants and students in Grades IV, V, and VI as participants. Data were collected through classroom observations over three months, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis. The data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model and validated through source and method triangulation. The findings indicate that implementing SEL in digital classrooms strengthened students’ empathy, emotional self-regulation, responsibility, and collaboration while improving classroom interactions and responsible learning behaviours. Parents also reported positive changes in students’ social attitudes and responsibility at home. These findings provide practical implications for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers in integrating SEL into sustainable character education within digital learning environments. The novelty of this study lies in providing empirical evidence of how SEL can be systematically implemented in digital classrooms to strengthen elementary students’ character within the context of Indonesian public elementary schools.