The Construction of Students' Religious Character Through English Language Learning: A Study at SD Negeri Lombasang, Gowa Regency, Indonesia

The Impact of Islamic Religious Education Learning on Students' Character Development at SMPN 8 Samarinda in 2026: A CIPP Evaluation Model

A Habituation-Based Learning Model for Islamic Religious Education and Character Building to Strengthen Students' Religious Character at MTs Darul Hikmah Burneh, Bangkalan

Students’ religious character constitutes a strategic concern in madrasah education, particularly as the younger generation faces various symptoms of moral decline. At the same time, Islamic Religious Education (PAI) and Character (Budi Pekerti) learning frequently remains confined to the cognitive domain, so that students do not necessarily translate their knowledge into everyday moral action. Departing from this problem, the study aims to develop and describe a habituation-based PAI and Budi Pekerti learning model to strengthen students’ religious character at MTs Darul Hikmah, Burneh District, Bangkalan Regency. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, combining library research with a preliminary field study consisting of observation and document review at the research site. Data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing in accordance with the interactive model of Miles and Huberman. The findings formulate a habituation-based learning model in three stages: planning, which integrates religious values into learning devices; implementation, which comprises daily, weekly, and monthly habituation activities combining the dimensions of moral knowing, moral feeling, and moral action; and evaluation, which relies on authentic assessment through attitude observation, daily journals, and spiritual portfolios. The model is supported by pesantren culture, teacher exemplariness, and parental synergy, yet faces obstacles such as students’ heterogeneous backgrounds and limited supervision beyond the madrasah, making sustained synergy among the madrasah, the pesantren, and parents indispensable. Accordingly, the habituation model proves capable of systematically uniting Lickona’s three character dimensions within a single cycle of planning, implementation, and evaluation. The model may serve as a practical reference for PAI and Budi Pekerti teachers in designing instruction that sustainably cultivates students’ religious habits and awareness, while opening space for further empirical testing

The Implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in Shaping Students' Religious Behavior: A Case Study of an Indonesian Junior High School

National education in Indonesia is continually undergoing reform through the launch of the Merdeka (Independent) Curriculum, which emphasizes learning flexibility and the strengthening of students' character. Within this new curriculum structure, Islamic Religious Education (PAI) and the Project for Strengthening the Profile of Pancasila Students (Projek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila/P5) hold a strategic position to transfer and internalize religious values into students' actual behavior. Based on this context, this study aims to determine the implementation strategies of the Merdeka Curriculum and their impact on shaping students' religious behavior at SMP Negeri 3 Jati Agung. Utilizing a qualitative-descriptive approach, the researcher served as the key instrument, collecting data through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation. Data analysis was conducted inductively and validated using source triangulation. The results indicate that the implementation strategy was executed sustainably through the integration of differentiated learning, the habituation of routine religious activities, the implementation of P5, and consistent role modeling from teachers. This strategy proved effective in shaping students' religious behavior, which is reflected in their discipline regarding worship, noble character, high social-religious empathy, and the emergence of independent spiritual awareness. These findings underscore the importance of synergy between flexible curriculum regulations and a participatory school ecosystem in reconstructing student character.

The Role of Islamic Religious Education in Shaping the Character of Elementary School Students in the Digital Era: A Case Study at SDN 010 Bontang Utara

The rapid advancement of digital technology has the potential to erode the character and morality of elementary school students through exposure to negative content on social media, particularly when not counterbalanced by a strong foundation of Islamic Religious Education (IRE). This study aims to analyze the role of IRE in shaping students' character, to identify shifts in student character in the digital era, and to explore students' experiences in participating in IRE learning at SDN 010 Bontang Utara. This study employs a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews with the principal, IRE teachers, homeroom teachers, students, parents, education staff, and the school committee, and documentation study. Data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with trustworthiness established through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The results indicate that IRE at SDN 010 Bontang Utara has contributed meaningfully to instilling values of honesty, responsibility, patience, empathy, and humility through methods adapted to grade levels, ranging from habituation and modelling in lower grades to reflective-dialogical approaches in upper grades. However, its effectiveness is still constrained by intense exposure to negative digital content, which triggers character shifts such as the use of coarse language, declining manners, and digital bullying, particularly among upper-grade students. Students' learning experiences of IRE are generally positive, yet a gap remains between instructional content and the digital realities students face daily. This study recommends strengthening a more contextual, adaptive, and digitally literate approach to IRE grounded in Islamic values, alongside closer synergy among teachers, parents, and the school ecosystem as a moral safeguard for the digital generation.

The Role of Islamic Education Teachers in Cultivating Religious Character: A Case Study of Boarding School-Connected Vocational Education

This study aims to analyze the role of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers in shaping students’ religious character by examining their roles as educators, role models, mentors, and supervisors-partners. The research addresses the need to strengthen students’ religious character amid challenges related to worship discipline, moral consistency, and social influences in vocational education. This study employed a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observation, and documentation involving seven purposively selected informants consisting of PAI teachers and students. Data validity was ensured through source and technique triangulation, member checking, and audit trails, while data analysis followed the interactive model of Miles and Huberman, including data condensation, data display, and conclusion verification. The findings reveal that PAI teachers play interconnected roles in developing students’ religious character through the integration of Islamic values in learning, exemplary behavior, religious habituation, continuous guidance, and behavioral supervision. The study implies that effective religious character education requires collaboration among teachers, schools, families, and educational environments to ensure the consistent internalization of religious values in students’ daily lives.

Efforts To Improve Students’ Disciplinary Character Through Religious Habituation At Darut Taqwa Vocational High School

Background: Character education is a primary objective of Indonesia’s national education system. However, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of religious habituation in strengthening students’ disciplinary character, particularly in vocational schools, remains limited. Objective: This study aims to examine the role of religious habituation as a strategy for strengthening students’ disciplinary character at SMK Darut Taqwa. Method: This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach during the odd semester of the 2024/2025 academic year. Data were collected through observations, semi-structured interviews, and documentation involving seven purposively selected informants. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, while validity was ensured through source and technique triangulation. Findings and Implications: The findings indicate that religious habituation activities, including Qur’an recitation, congregational Duha and Dhuhr prayers, collective supplication, and a greeting culture, positively strengthened students’ punctuality, compliance with school regulations, responsibility in completing assignments, and participation in school activities. Teacher role modeling, a supportive religious environment, and strong school–parent collaboration emerged as key enabling factors. Conclusion: Religious habituation is an effective and context-sensitive strategy for fostering disciplinary character in pesantren-based vocational schools and should be systematically integrated into character education programs.