Analysis of the Teacher’s Role in Shaping Religious Character at Sekolah Dasar Alam Aceh Tengah

Abstract

This study explores the role of teachers in shaping students’ religious character at Sekolah Dasar Alam Aceh Tengah, an Islamic-based elementary school that integrates environmental awareness with character education. The research responds to the growing concern that moral and spiritual education in contemporary schools often remains superficial, emphasizing knowledge rather than internalized values. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through observation, interviews, and document analysis involving teachers, the principal, and students. The findings reveal that teachers play a multifaceted role as educators (mu’allim), spiritual mentors (murabbi), role models (uswah hasanah), and motivators (mursyid) in nurturing students’ faith, discipline, and empathy. Religious character is developed through consistent moral habituation in daily school activities such as prayer routines, Qur’an recitation, environmental stewardship, and cooperative learning. Teachers’ consistency, sincerity, and emotional closeness foster an environment conducive to moral reflection and behavioral transformation. The study concludes that effective religious character education requires teachers to embody the values they teach and to bridge knowledge with practice through reflective, experiential learning. Strengthening teachers’ pedagogical and spiritual competence is essential for sustaining meaningful character formation. These findings contribute to the discourse on integrating Islamic pedagogy with holistic character education, demonstrating that the teacher’s presence remains the most powerful medium for transmitting religious and moral values.