Vol. 73 | No.

5 | May 2017 International Journal of Sciences and Research

CHARACTER BUILDING THROUGH TEACHING LEARNING

PROCESS: LESSON IN INDONESIA
ARITA MARINI
(Department of Elementary School Teacher Eduation, Faculty of Education, The State
University of Jakarta, Indonesia/ arita250268@yahoo.co.id)

ABSTRACT

This research was aimed to know about character building in teaching learning
proces observed in 63 elementary schools in Jakarta in Indonesia. This survey research was
conducted at 63 elementary schools in Jakarta. Data was collected through interviewing and
observing. Character building in teaching learning process observed was related to
preliminary, core, and closing activities. Preliminary activities of teaching learning process
integrated character building in class preparation, students’ presence, and apperception.
Character building in core activities in teaching learning process involved teaching method,
two-way communication, students activities, learning resources. Integration of character
building in closing activities of teaching learning process included concluding activities,
giving feed back, reflecting, and following up. The result of this research showed that mean
of character building through teaching learning process at 63 elementary schools in Jakarta
reached was 44.87 or 97.54 % of the achievement of theoretical maximum score.from
maximum score. It can be concluded that in teaching learning process, character building
integrated has already been effective for 65.1 % of 63 elementary schools observed in Jakarta.
On the other hand 9.6 % of 63 elementary schools observed in Jakarta has not been optimal in
character building integration in teaching learning process.

Keywords: Teaching Learning Process, Preliminary, Core, and Closing Activities and
Character Building.

1. INTRODUCTION
The outcome of education at elementary schools is graduates with academic
achievement and good character. This can be done through integrating character building in
teaching learning process at elementary schools. Character building can be integrated in all
subjects and the process of teaching and learning. Therefore, the teachers should prepare
character building starting from planning, acting, and evaluating. Character building
integrated in the proces of teaching and learning can be conducted in preliminary, core, and
closing activities. Integration of character building in core activities of the teaching and
learning process can be conducted in exploration, elaboration, and confirmation activities.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Adi, S. S. (2013) said that character building consisting of responsibility, fairness,
and caring could be integrated in EFL classroom activities. The strategy used in this class
was student centered teaching. Integration of the responsible value was done through
narrative writing activities related to responsibility cases. Fairness value was integrated
through explanation about their treating people and considering others’ feelings affected by
their actions.
Faiziyah, N. & Fachrurrazy (2012) found that there were character values integrated
in lesson plans studied. The lesson plan integrated the values of confidence, logical thinking,

177
Vol. 73 | No. 5 | May 2017 International Journal of Sciences and Research

creativity, innovativeness, open-mindedness, responsibility, politeness, activeness, politeness,

respect, discipline, and cooperativeness.The most frequent character value integrated in
teaching learning process was confidence.The less frequent character values integrated in the
process of teaching and learning were logical thinking, respect, politeness, and discipline.
According to Milson, A. J. & Mehlig, L. M (2002) & Hadi, R (2015), the teachers
could use various methods to integrate character values in teaching learning process.
However, the teachers were doubtful of integrating character values in teaching learning
process.They focused on the materials too much so that they didn’t remember to integrate
character values.This problem was also related to the teachers’ competences not good enough.
Therefore, the teachers should improve their competences about character building.
Dodds, D. M. (2016); Montonye, M; Butenhoff, S; Krinke, S. (2013); Patella, C
(2003); Branson, C. (2004); Berkowitz, M. W & Bier, M. C. (2004); and Thompson, W. G.
(2012) found that character building activities affect positively on positive behavior of the
students leading to recommendations to implement character building in elementary schools.
Negative behaviors of the students decreased whereas the student understanding of values
improved. Character building should be integrated with the curriculum, not taught separately.
The rules of classroom at school should be on the basis of good character principles. In
addition to this, the teachers should be a model of good character observed by the student.
Character should be taught for the students with hands-on activities contributing to the school
and the community leading to improve student behavior.

3. METHODOLOGY
This survey method was conducted at 63 elementary schools in Jakarta in Indonesia.
Observation related to integration of character building in teaching learning process was
conducted in class to find out the integration of character building in teaching learning
process at 63 elementary schools in Jakarta.
This research used quantitatively descriptive method with descriptive statistics,
frequency distribution, and frequency histogram. Indicators of character building integration
in teaching learning process for preliminary activities were related to teachers’ and students’
presence, apperception, and lesson plan. Indicators of character building integration of core
activities in teaching learning process were related to two-way communication, teachers’
competence, students’ activities, teaching style, teaching methods, and authentic evaluation.
Indicators of character building integration of closing activities in teaching learning process
were related to concluding activities, reflection, giving feed back.

4. RESULTS
This research was conducted at 63 elementary schools in Jakarta in Indonesia: SDN
Cakung Timur 06, SDN Cakung Timur 09, SDN Rorotan 07 Pagi, SDN Cakung Timur 03
Pagi, SDN Marunda 03 Pagi, SDN Kebon Kacang 03, SDN Duren Sawit 01, SDN Duren
Sawit 07, SDN Duren Sawit 03, SDN Cipinang Muara 12, SDN Cipedak 02, SDN Tanjung
Barat 01, SDN Cipete Utara 01, SDN Jagakarsa 05, SDN Jagakarsa 03, SDN Cilincing 09
Pagi, SDN Cipinang Muara 03 Pagi, SDN Cipinang Muara 06 Pagi, SDN Kebon Pala 04
Pagi, SDN Jatinegara 09 Pagi, SD Kartika XI, SDN Cipinang Besar Selatan 16, SD Baitul
Khair, SDN Kampung Melayu 01, SDN Rawa Bunga 12, SDN Kebon Pala 03 Pagi, SDN
Cilincing 07 Pagi, SDN Cipinang Besar Selatan 15 Pagi, SDN Cilincing 04 Pagi, SDN
Cilincing 02 Pagi, SDN Karet 06 Pagi, SDN Menteng Atas 01 Pagi, SDN Menteng Atas 11
Pagi, SDN Menteng Atas 17 Pagi, SDN Pasar Manggis 02 Petang, SDN Menteng Atas 21
Pagi, SDN Guntur 01 Pagi, SDN Duren Sawit 13 Pagi, SDN Tegalur 15 Pagi, SDN Lagoa 03

178
Vol. 73 | No. 5 | May 2017 International Journal of Sciences and Research

Petang, SDN Guntur 08 Pagi, SDN Karet 04 Pagi, SDN Menteng Atas 04 Pagi, SDN
Menteng Atas 06 Pagi, SDN Menteng Atas 18 Petang, SDN Cilandak Timur 07 Pagi, SDN
Cipinang Muara 20 Pagi, SDN Cipinang Besar Utara 11 Pagi, SDN Cipinang Besar Selatan
17 Pagi, SDN Penjaringan 10 Pagi, SDN Kedoya Utara 04, SDN Kedoya Utara 09, SDN
Kedoya Utara 03, SDN Kedoya Utara 01, SDN Kepa Duri 11, SDN Batu Ampar 09 Pagi,
SDN Batu Ampar 08 Pagi, SDN Lubang Buaya 01 Pagi, SDN Lubang Buaya 05 Pagi, SDN
Lubang Buaya 13 Pagi, SDN Cipedak 06, SDN Tanjung Barat 03, and SDN Cipedak 01.
Observations of character building integration in preliminary activities of teaching and
learning process was related to: (1) teachers’ presence on time; (2) students’ praying before
learning; (3) teachers’ inspection of the students’ neatness; (4) teachers’ inspection of the
students’ presence; (5) teachers’ dress manners; (6) teachers being a model in teaching and
learning process; (7) teachers and students in greetings before teaching and learning process;
(8) lesson plan containing character values; (9) class management supporting dialogues
happening in class.
Observations of character building integration in core activities of teaching and
learning process involved: (1) suitability between lesson plan dan action done; (2) teachers’
competences of teaching material by integrating character building; (3) students’ absorption
of materials taught; (4) teachers’ attention to the students; (5) teachers’ guidance by
integrating character building; (6) students’ assignment with character values; (7) two-way
communication between teachers and students’ (8) teachers maintaining condusive situation
with character values; (9) students activity and creativity; (10) teaching methods by
integrating character building; (11) interesting teaching style; (12) teachers giving opportunity
to ask for the students; (13) teachers giving rewards for the students appropriately; (14)
teachers giving punishment educatively; (15) teachers giving confirmation; (16) two-way
communication among students; (17) learning resources containing character values; (18)
learning media using for character building; (19) authentic assessment; (20) friendly learning
situation.
Observation of character building in closing activities of teaching and learning process
was related to: (1) teachers and students concluding lesson together; (2) students doing self-
assessment; (3) teachers giving feedback; (4) teachers doing reflection of teaching learning
process done; (5) displaying students’ products; (6) students praying.
This survey research used observation instrument consisting of 46 items with
dichotomy scales 0 and 1. Score 0 means that character values not existed. Score 1 means
appropriate or character building already integrated in teaching learning process. Minimum
theoretical score was 40 and maximum theoretical score was 46. Based on the observation of
character building integration in teaching learning process done at 63 elementary schools in
Jakarta, descriptive statistics can be seen in Table 1.
Table 1. Descriptive statistics of character values integration in teaching learning process at 63
elementary schools in Jakarta
Types of Descriptive Statistics Scores
Mean 44.87
Standard Error of Mean 0.17
Median 45
Mode 46
Standard Deviation 1.350
Sample Variance 1.822
Curtosis 3.728
Std. Error of Kurtosis 0.595
Skewness -1.671

179
Vol. 73 | No. 5 | May 2017 International Journal of Sciences and Research

Std. Error of Skewness 0.302

Range 6
Minimum 40
Maximum 46
Sum 2827
Count 63
Source : Data Survey (2017).
Table 1 shows that mean score of character building integration in teaching learning
process at 63 elementary schools in Jakarta is 44.87 or 97.54 % of the achievement of
theoretical maximum score. It means that character building has already been integrated in
teaching learning process effectively at 63 elementary school in Jakarta. Character building
has been integrated highly effectively particularly for teachers’ presence on time, teachers’
inspection of the students’ neatness, teachers’ inspection of the students’ presence, teachers
and students in greetings before teaching and learning process, suitability between lesson plan
dan action done, teachers’ competences of teaching material by integrating character building,
students’ absorption of materials taught with character values, two-way communication
between teachers and students, teachers maintaining condusive situation with character
values, students activity and creativity, teaching methods by integrating character building,
teachers giving rewards for the students appropriately, authentic assessment, teachers giving
feed back, and students praying after learning. Character building has been integrated least
effectively particularly for students doing self-assessment integrated with character building.
Frequency distribution of character building integration in teaching learning process at 63
elementary schools in Jakarta can be seen in Table 2.
Table 2. Frequency distribution of character values integration in teaching learning process at 63
elementary schools in Jakarta
No Scores Frequency Relative frequency Cumulative
(fi) (%) frequency (%)
1 40 2 3.2 3.2
2 42 1 1.6 4.8
3 43 3 4.8 9.5
4 44 16 25.4 34.9
5 45 14 22.2 57.1
6 46 27 42.9 100
Total 63 100
Source : Data Survey (2017).
Table 2 shows that 65.1 % of the scores is higher than average scores and 9.6 % of
the scores is less than average scores. It means that 65.1 % of 63 elementary schools in
Jakarta has already been highly effective in integrating character building in teaching learning
process. 9.6 % of 63 elementary schools in Jakarta has not been effective to integrate
character building in teaching learning process. It can be seen from the movement of
observation scores leading to the right direction (positive) in Figure 1.

180
Vol. 73 | No. 5 | May 2017 International Journal of Sciences and Research

Source : Data Survey (2017).

Fig.1 Frequency histogram of character building integration in teaching learning process at 63

elemenatary schools

5. CONCLUSION
Based on research findings, it can be concluded that 65.1 % of 63 elementary schools
observed in Jakarta has already effectively integrated character building in teaching learning
process. On the other hand, 9.6 % of 63 elementary schools observed in Jakarta has not
effectively integrated character building in teaching learning process.

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study is dedicated to the The State University of Jakarta, Indonesia that has
been providing assistance funding for this research.

REFERENCES
Adi, S. S. 2013. Character Building in Language Learning: Immersion Principle in the Implementation of
Responsible, Fair, and Care Values in Developing EFL Classroom Activities. 5th National English
Language Teachers and Lecturers (NELTAL) Conference. Indonesia: State University of Malang.

Berkowitz, M. W. & Bier, M. C. 2004. Research-Based Character Education. The Annals of the American
Academy of Political and Social Science, 591, 72-85.

Branson, C. 2004. Effects of Character Education on Student Behavior. Masters Theses. Paper 1252.
http://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1252

Dodds, D. M. 2016. The Effect of Character Education on Social-Emotional Behavior. Master of Arts in
Education Action Research Papers. Paper 137.

Faiziyah, N. & Fachrurrazy. 2012. The Implementation of Character Building in English Subject at Junior High
School 3 Malang. Indonesia: State University of Malang.

Hadi, R. 2015. The Integration of Character Values in the Teaching of Economics: A Case of Selected High
Schools in Banjarmasin. Indonesia: Universitas Lambung Mangkurat. doi: 10.5539/ies.v8n7p11.

181
Vol. 73 | No. 5 | May 2017 International Journal of Sciences and Research

Milson, A. J. & Mehlig, L. M. 2002. Elementary School Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy for Character Education.
The Journal of Educational Research, 96(1), 47-53.

Montonye, M; Butenhoff, S; Krinke, S. 2013. The Influence of Character Education on Positive Behavior in the
Classroom. Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers. Paper 6.

Patella, C. 2003. The Effect of Character Education on Sudent Behavior. Theses and Dissertations.1351.
http://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/1351

Thompson, W. G. 2012. The Effects of Character Education on Student Behavior. Electronic Theses and
Dissertations. Paper 706. Htttp://dc.etsu.edu/etd/706

182