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Abstract

Religious character education for elementary school students has become a fundamental necessity in responding to increasingly complex social changes. This study aims to describe and analyze the religious character of third-grade elementary school students in Tasikmalaya by considering the diversity of children’s characteristics as the main analytical lens. In this study, such diversity includes differences in emotional regulation, learning styles, levels of independence, and social tendencies among students; however, it does not specifically focus on disabilities or particular special educational needs. Therefore, the findings are situated within the context of mainstream education. Nevertheless, the findings remain relevant to inclusive education as they emphasize the importance of pedagogical approaches that are adaptive and responsive to diverse learning needs. The scope of the study covers five main aspects of religious character: honesty, patience, empathy, sportsmanship, and spiritual reflection. The research employed a descriptive qualitative design involving third-grade students and teachers from two different schools, namely an Integrated Islamic Elementary School (SD IT) and a non–Islamic Integrated elementary school (SD 3 Tugu). Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman. The results indicate differences in the development of religious character between the two schools. Students in the SD IT demonstrated a higher consistency of religious behavior through structured habituation practices such as morning routines, value reflection, and teacher role modeling. In contrast, students at SD 3 Tugu exhibited a more dynamic development of religious character through game-based learning, although such behaviors were not yet fully stable without teacher guidance. The diversity of children’s characteristics was found to influence the extent to which religious values were internalized within different learning contexts. This study concludes that the development of religious character in elementary education requires pedagogically adaptive and inclusive approaches that combine consistent habituation with learning experiences aligned with children’s developmental needs in mainstream educational settings.

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