Using Religious Character Education to Help Students Develop Exceptional and Moral Character
Abstract
Purpose of the study: This study's backdrop stems from the growing emphasis on religious character in recent years. This study aims to explain how Islamic character education is used at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Nurul Jadid to help students develop outstanding and honest characters.
Methodology: Interviews, observations, and documentation were used to gather data for a case study approach using a qualitative method.
Main Findings: The study's findings show that incorporating Islamic values into the curriculum, establishing religious practices like congregational prayer, tadarus Al-Qur'an, and daily prayers, and having teachers set an example regarding their attitudes and behavior are all ways to implement religious character education. A structured educational system, teacher collaboration, a positive school climate, and sufficient infrastructure support this implementation's success. In the meantime, challenges include a lack of parental support, scheduling constraints, and various student backgrounds.
Novelty/Originality of this study: The study concludes that while religious character education helps students develop high, disciplined, and responsible morals, it still needs close collaboration between families and schools to produce the best results.
References
A. Maulidiyah, D. H. Muhammad, and M. A. Syahrin, “Implementasi Pendidikan Karakter Religious Dalam Membentuk Kepribadian Siswa Di Madrasah Tsanawiyah Miftahussalam Kecamatan Lumbang Kabupaten Probolinggo,” J. Pendidik. Islam, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 29–44, 2022, doi: 10.37286/ojs.v8i2.158.
N. Komariah and I. Nihayah, “Improving The Personality Character of Students Through Learning Islamic Religious Education,” At-tadzkir Islam. Educ. J., vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 65–77, 2023, doi: 10.59373/attadzkir.v2i1.15.
I. Abrori, A. Ikhwan, U. M. Malang, E. Java, U. M. Ponorogo, and E. Java, “Strengthening Islamic Religious Education Values in Developing Independent Character,” Strength. Islam. Relig. Educ., vol. 8, no. 7, pp. 89–102, 2023, doi: 10.35723/ajie.v8i3.580.
D. A. Sagala, “Principles And Characters Of Religious Moderation In Christian Religious Education,” J. Didask., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 31–37, 2020, doi: 10.33856/didaskalia.v3i2.185.
M. ari. Khoiruddin and D. D. Sholekah, “Implementasi Pendidikan Agama Islam Dalam Membentuk Karakter Islami Siswa,” An-Nafis J. Ilm. Keislam. dan Kemasyarakatan, vol. 06, no. 01, pp. 117–128, 2023, doi: 10.62196/nfs.v2i2.45.
S. Atika, “Pelaksanaan Pendidikan Karakter (Religius, Cinta Tanah Air Dan Disiplin) Di SLB Al Ishlaah Padang,” E-JUPEKhu (Jurnal Ilm. Pendidik. Khusus), vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 747–755, 2014.
H. Cahyono, “Pendidikan Karakter: Strategi pendidikan Nilai dalam Membentuk Karakter Religius,” Ri’ayah, vol. 01, no. 02, pp. 230–240, 2016.
M. Ahsanulkhaq, “Membentuk Karakter Religius Peserta Didik Melalui Metode Pembiasaan,” J. Prakarsa Paedagog., vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 23–24, 2019.
L. Retnasari, S. Suyitno, and Y. Hidayah, “Penguatan Peran Taman Pendidikan Al-Quran (TPQ) Sebagai Pendidikan Karakter Religius,” J. SOLMA, vol. 8, no. 1, p. 32, 2019, doi: 10.29405/solma.v8i1.2968.
M. Arsanti, “Pengembangan Bahan Ajar Mata Kuliah Penulisan Kreatif Bermuatan Nilai-Nilai Pendidikan Karakter Religius bagi Mahasiswa,” J. Kredo, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 71–90, 2018.
M. Hambali and E. Yulianti, “Ekstrakurikuler Keagamaan Terhadap Pembentukan Karakter Religius Peserta Didik Di Kota Majapahit,” Pedagogik, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 193–208, 2018.
R. Putra, R. Saputra, M. Ritonga, M. Tsanawiyah, and N. Padang, “Implications of Scouting Education on the Formation of Religious Character and Increasing Learning Outcomes of Religious Education Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Barat , Indonesia,” waraqat J. Ilmu-ilmu Keislam., vol. VII, no. 2, pp. 275–288, 2022.
I. Sirait, “Character Education in Islamic Education,” J. Pendidik. Agama Islam Indones., vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 5–8, 2023, doi: 10.37251/jpaii.v4i1.643.
F. Rohman, “Problem Based Learning in Islamic Religious Education: The Case of the Indonesian Pesantren,” Glob. J. Al-Thaqafah, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 82–97, 2022, doi: 10.7187/GJAT072022-5.
A. A. Mahmudinata, “Pendidikan Agama Islam dan Kecerdasan Emosional : Pendekatan Integratif untuk Peningkatan Karakter Siswa,” vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 143–148, 2024, doi: 10.56854/sasana.v3i1.381.
I. Kartika, S. Saepudin, E. Norman, and W. Uswatiyah, “Instilling religious character values in elementary school students through Islamic religious education learning,” JPPI (Jurnal Penelit. Pendidik. Indones., vol. 9, no. 4, p. 100, 2023, doi: 10.29210/020232598.
I. Hasanah, H. Hefniy, and A. W. Zaini, “Strengthening Brand Identity: Embracing Local Wisdom through Character Education Management,” Indones. J. Educ. Soc. Stud., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 83–94, 2023, doi: 10.33650/ijess.v2i2.3435.
H. Padaniyah, Yayu, “Perspektif Sosisologi Ekonomi Dalam Pemutusan Hubungan Kerja Karyawan Perusahaan Di Masa Pandemi Covid-19,” POINT J. Ekon. dan Manaj., vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 32–44, 2021, doi: 10.46918/point.v3i1.902.
R. Mulyana, F. Hilmi, B. Busro, and M. Jaenudin, “Nurturing Faith and Character: A Values-Based Approach to Islamic Religious Education in Vocational High Schools,” AL-ISHLAH J. Pendidik., vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 1154–1165, 2023, doi: 10.35445/alishlah.v15i2.3739.
M. Taufik, “Strategic Role of Islamic Religious Education in Strengthening Character Education in the Era of Industrial Revolution 4.0,” J. Ilm. Islam Futur., vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 86–104, 2020, doi: 10.22373/jiif.v20i1.5797.
E. Khaidir and F. M. Suud, “Islamic Education in Forming Students’ Characters At As-Shofa Islamic High School, Pekanbaru Riau,” Int. J. Islam. Educ. Psychol., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 50–63, 2020, doi: 10.18196/ijiep.1105.
A. Saepudin, N. Rahminawati, and I. Asikin, “Implementation of Religious Moderation Character Education Strengthening Program to High School Students in Bandung,” KnE Soc. Sci., vol. 2023, pp. 184–201, 2023, doi: 10.18502/kss.v8i18.14216.
Ibrahim, S. Anggreini, Martadila, Selli, and M. Iqrom, “Implementasi Pendidikan Karakter Religius Di Ma Paradigma Palembang,” vol. 2, no. 1, 2024.
K. C. Pradana, O. Fatimah, Y. Rahmawati, P. M. Windya, and A. Erprabowo, “Karakter Disiplin dan Karakter Religius: Pengaruhnya terhadap Kemampuan Numerik Peserta didik,” Edumatica J. Pendidik. Mat., vol. 13, no. 01, pp. 38–47, 2023.
Q. Atqia, Y. Utanto, and K. Kustiono, “Evaluation of Moral Education Program: Study at MI Tamrinussibyan 01 Al-Hikmah,” Innov. J. Curric. Educ. Technol., vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 30–42, 2021, https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/ujet/article/view/
I. at al Tabroni, “Character Establishment Through Islamic Religious Education,” J. Sos. Hum. dan Pendidik., vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 5–9, 2022.
Awis, “Implementasi Pendidikan Karakter dalam Pembentukan Kepribadian Anak Didik di SDN 82 Dante Koa Kecamatan Baraka,” MahaguruJurnal Pendidik. Guru Sekol. Dasat, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 41–49, 2023.
S. Badriah, D. Handayani, A. Mahyani, and B. S. Arifin, “Learning Islamic Religious Education with Muhammadiyah Nuances in Universities,” Tafkir Interdiscip. J. Islam. Educ., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 255–273, 2023, doi: 10.31538/tijie.v4i2.401.
U. Husna and M. Thohir, “Religious Moderation as a New Approach to Learning Islamic Religious Education in Schools,” Nadwa J. Pendidik. Islam, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 199–222, 2020, doi: 10.21580/nw.2020.14.1.5766.
B. Gunawan, “Implementasi Manajemen Pendidikan Karakter Dalam Mengembangkan Minat, Sikap Dan Perilaku Positif Siswa Di MA Nurul Iman Kasui Kabupaten Way Kanan,” Innov. J. Soc. Sci. Res., vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 6328–6341, 2023.
E. Handayani Tyas and L. Naibaho, “Building Superior Human Resources through Character Education,” TEST Eng. Manag., vol. 84, no. 11864, pp. 11864–11873, 2020.
Z. Cai et al., “Analysis of the Influence of Ideological and Political Education and Social Development on Students’ Moral Character Shaping Under Positive Psychology,” Psychiatr. Danub., vol. 34, pp. 989–993, 2022.
Fajri Zaenol; Syaidatul Mukaroma, “Pendidikan Akhlak Perspektif Al Ghazali Dalam Menanggulangi Less Moral Value,” Edureligia; J. Pendidik. Agama Islam, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 31–47, 2021, https://www.ejournal.unuja.ac.id/index.php/edureligia/article/view/1964
F. N. Hayati, S. Suyatno, and E. Susatya, “Strengthening of Religious Character Education Based on School Culture in the Indonesian Secondary School,” Eur. Educ. Res., vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 87–100, 2020, doi: 10.31757/euer.331.
M. G. Lavasani and F. Khandan, “Transformation model for character education of students,” Cypriot J. Educ., vol. 2, no. 5, pp. 61–74, 2011.
A. Tohri, A. Rasyad, M. Sururuddin, and L. M. Istiqlal, “The urgency of Sasak local wisdom-based character education for elementary school in East Lombok, Indonesia,” Int. J. Eval. Res. Educ., vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 333–344, 2022, doi: 10.11591/ijere.v11i1.21869.
K. Eriksson and B. Simpson, “Is the Welfare State Bad for Citizens’ Moral Character? Beliefs and Evidence,” Socius, vol. 11, no. 87, pp. 234–252, 2025, doi: 10.1177/23780231251315788.
J. Metcalfe, K. Kristjánsson, and A. Peterson, “Exploring religious education teachers’ perspectives on character development and moral virtues, in state-funded, non-faith schools in England,” J. Beliefs Values, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 518–535, 2023, doi: 10.1080/13617672.2023.2186644.
C. Liu, G. Qu, and R. Gao, “Defining sports moral character and clarifying its related concepts,” Front. Sport. Act. Living, vol. 5, no. February, pp. 1–7, 2023, doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1101377.
I. K. Sudiarta and N. R. V. Pitriani, “The Application of Problem-Based Learning Model to Improve Learning Outcomes of Hindu Religious and Character (Budi Pekerti) Education of Fifth-Grade Students at SD Mahardika,” Int. J. Multidiscip. Sci., vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 394–402, 2023, doi: 10.37329/ijms.v1i4.2365.
Syarnubi, F. Mansir, M. E. Purnomo, K. Harto, and A. Hawi, “Implementing Character Education in Madrasah,” J. Pendidik. Islam, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 77–94, 2021, doi: 10.15575/jpi.v7i1.8449.
M. D. A. Zendrato, S. Suharno, and L. Agung, “Development of Christian Character Education Based Project Based Learning Teaching Materials to Improve Student Character,” Int. J. English Lit. Soc. Sci., vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 740–748, 2020, doi: 10.22161/ijels.53.28.
A. Jannah, “Peran Pendidikan Agama Islam Dalam Membina Karakter Religius Sswa sekolah Dasar,” AT-TAWASSUTH J. Ekon. Islam, vol. VIII, no. I, pp. 1–19, 2023.
E. McTernan, “Moral character, liberal states, and civic education,” Oxford Handb. Moral Psychol., vol. 98, no. 5, pp. 863–876, 2022, doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198871712.013.42.
S. Monteverde, “Moral failure, moral prudence, and character challenges in residential care during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Nurs. Ethics, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 17–27, 2024, doi: 10.1177/09697330231174532.
D. A. Pradana, M. Mahfud, C. Hermawan, and H. D. Susanti, “Nasionalism: Character Education Orientation in Learning Development,” Budapest Int. Res. Critics Inst. Humanit. Soc. Sci., vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 4026–4034, 2021, doi: 10.33258/birci.v3i4.1501.
D. Carr, “Satan’s virtues: On the moral educational prospects of fictional character,” Rev. Esp. Pedagog., vol. 82, no. 287, pp. 5–16, 2024, doi: 10.22550/2174-0909.3923.
M. Grizzard, N. L. Matthews, C. J. Francemone, and K. Fitzgerald, “Do Audiences Judge the Morality of Characters Relativistically How Interdependence Affects Perceptions of Characters’ Temporal Moral Descent,” Hum. Commun. Res., vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 338–363, 2021, doi: 10.1093/hcr/hqab011.
P. A. Annur, E. Susanti, and I. G. Gera, “Urgensi Pendidikan Moral Sekolah Dasar dalam Membentuk Karakter Religius di Era Digital menurut Henry Alexis Rudolf Tilaar,” J. Edukasi, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 271–287, 2023, doi: 10.60132/edu.v1i3.182.
M. Tillmanns, “Does Developing Moral Thinking Skills Lead to Moral Action?,” Int. J. Philos. Pract., vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 104–111, 2021, doi: 10.5840/ijpp2021718.
J. Metcalfe and D. Moulin-Stożek, “Religious education teachers’ perspectives on character education,” Br. J. Relig. Educ., vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 349–360, 2021, doi: 10.1080/01416200.2020.1713049.
N. Z. Oktavianti, “Peran Guru Pendidikan Agama Islam dalam Mengembangkan Karakter Kepedulian Sosial Siswa SMP di Yayasan Pendidikan Nurul Hasanah Tembung,” vol. 2, no. 4, 2024.
A. Rashid, “The International Conference on Education, Social, Sciences and Technology (ICESST),” Int. Conf. Educ. Soc. Sci. Technol., vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 39–51, 2022.
M. Danumiharja, O. Fathurohman, I. Subasman, and F. Nugraha, “Integrating Religious Character and Science Education at SMK KHAS Kempek : A Qualitative Study on Holistic Educational Approaches in Indonesia,” J. Pendidik. Islam, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 117–123, 2023.
H. Z. Lubis, “Implementation of Traditional Games in Religious and Moral Values in Early Childhood,” J. Pendidik. Anak Usia Dini Undiksha, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 310–320, 2023.
Z. Fajri, H. Baharun, C. Muali, Shofiatun, L. Farida, and Y. Wahyuningtiyas, “Student’s Learning Motivation and Interest; the Effectiveness of Online Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser., vol. 1899, no. 1, 2021, doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/1899/1/012178.
U. Rahmawati and D. Hamrah, “The Role of Professional Ethnics Courses in Producing Prospective Islamic Religious Education,” INJIES J. Islam. Educ. Stud., vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 71–82, 2024.
L. N. Fajri. Z, Desi. A.R, “Implementasi Manajemen Kelas Efektif (MKE) untuk Menanamkan Karakter Disiplin Siswa MI Mambaul Falah,” Pendas J. Ilm. Pendidik. Dasar, vol. 08, no. 8, p. 3, 2023, doi: 10.23969/jp.v8i3.10388.
J. Jamaludin, S. N. A. S. Alanur S, S. Amus, and H. Hasdin, “Penerapan Nilai Profil Pelajar Pancasila Melalui Kegiatan Kampus Mengajar Di Sekolah Dasar,” J. Cakrawala Pendas, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 698–709, 2022, doi: 10.31949/jcp.v8i3.2553.
H. Sutrisno, Metodologi Research. Yogyakarta: Andi Offset, 1991.
M. Mahsun, Language Research Methods: Stages, Strategies, Methods, and Techniques. Yogyakarta: Rajawali Press, 2017.
W. Blackwell, Researching Medical Education. Bethesda, Maryland, USA: Chair of the Association for Medical Education Europe (AMEE) Research Committee, 2015.
M. B. Milles and Huberman, Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook. USA: Sage Publications, 2014.
R. Bogdan, Qualitative Research for Education. london: Allyn and Bacon, 1982.
T. J. Buhungo, S. Supartin, A. Arbie, D. G. E. Setiawan, A. Djou, and M. Yunus, “Learning Tools Quality of Problem-Based Learning Model in Contextual Teaching and Learning Approach on Elasticity and Hooke’s Law Materials,” J. Penelit. Pendidik. IPA, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 1092–1098, 2023, doi: 10.29303/jppipa.v9i3.3127.
U. Hasanah, A. R. Sofa, U. Islam, Z. Hasan, and G. Probolinggo, “Strategi , Implementasi , dan Peran Pengasuh dalam Pengembangan Pendidikan Agama di Pondok Pesantren Zainul Hasan Genggong Probolinggo,” vol. 3, 2025.
N. A. R. Alam, “Penguatan Pendidikan Karakter Melalui Pendidikan Agama Islam Di Sekolah Indonesia,” J. Sos. Hum., vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 145–163, 2020.
R. Imanda, S. Setiawaty, and H. Qausar, “Pendampingan Siswa Sekolah Dasar Melalui Pembelajaran Model Discovery Learning Berorientasi HOTS,” J. Pengabdi. Sos., vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 205–210, 2024, doi: 10.59837/vqcmkj32.
M. Saleh, “Implementasi Pendidikan Karakter Di Sekolah Inklusi,” Hikmah J. Islam. Stud., vol. 17, no. 2, p. 101, 2022, doi: 10.47466/hikmah.v17i2.198.
Dahaluddin, M. Rakib, and E. Apriyanti, “Implementasi Pendidikan Karakter Melalui Kegiatan Ekstrakurikuler Pada Siswa Smk Negeri 1 Pangkep,” J. Educ. Dev., vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 129–135, 2022.
M. Iftitah et al., “Faktor Penghambat Pelaksanaan Rekam Medis Elektronik di Rumah Sakit : Narrative Review,” pp. 65–71, 2022, doi: 10.33560/jmiki.v12i1.645.
E. A. Andika Lestari, Jamal Fakhri, “Attractive : Innovative Education Journal,” Students’ Difficulties Elem. Sch. Increasing Lit. Abil., vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1–12, 2022.
A. S. Bassar, U. Ruswandi, and M. Erihadiana, “Pendidikan Islam: Peluang dan Tantangan di Era Global dan Multikultural,” J-PAI J. Pendidik. Agama Islam, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 63–75, 2021, doi: 10.18860/jpai.v8i1.9577.
Yogi Fernando, Popi Andriani, and Hidayani Syam, “Pentingnya Motivasi Belajar Dalam Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Siswa,” ALFIHRIS J. Inspirasi Pendidik., vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 61–68, 2024, doi: 10.59246/alfihris.v2i3.843.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zaenol Fajri, Luluk Kamilah

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and acknowledge that the Indonesian Journal of Education Research (IJoER) is the first publisher licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citation of published work.