Strengthening Student Character Education at the Tri Integrated Nature School of Education Center
Keywords:
Keywords: Character education, Nature school, Ki Hajar Dewantara, Three Pillars of Education, Leading by example
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the strengthening of character education for students in nature schools based on the philosophy of Ki Hajar Dewantara. Using a descriptive qualitative method, the study was conducted at two nature schools, namely Sekolah Alam Muaro Bungo (SAMO) and Madrasah Alam Insan Rabbani, involving 12 participants consisting of school principals, teachers, students, and parents. Data collection was conducted through observation, interviews, and documentation. The results of the study indicate that the strengthening of character education in nature schools is carried out through three main programs: exemplary leadership grounded in the philosophy of Ing Ngarsa Sung Tuladha, habit formation based on Ing Madya Mangun Karsa, and meaningful interpretation rooted in Tut Wuri Handayani. These three programs are implemented in an integrated manner through collaboration between the school and parents within the framework of the Tri Pusat Pendidikan. These findings indicate that the nature school approach, which holistically integrates Ki Hajar Dewantara’s philosophy, is capable of shaping students’ character to be strong, consistent, and grounded in local wisdom.
References
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Berkowitz, M. W., & Grych, J. H. (2000). Early character development and education. Early Education and Development, 11(1), 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15566935eed1101_4
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv26071r6
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/qualitative-inquiry-and-research-design/book246896
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Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2018). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-handbook-of-qualitative-research/book242504
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Haddon, A., Cairns, D., & Stewart, S. (2019). Service learning and character development in schools: A systematic review. Journal of Moral Education, 48(4), 430–449. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2018.1545437
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Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. M. (1995). Parental involvement in children’s education: Why does it make a difference? Teachers College Record, 97(2), 310–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146819509700202
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7506-7223-8.50017-4
Lapsley, D., & Yeager, D. (2013). Moral-character education. In W. Reynolds, G. Miller, & I. Weiner (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Educational psychology (Vol. 7, pp. 147–177). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118133880.hop207006
Lickona, T. (1991). Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. Bantam Books. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/145427/educating-for-character-by-thomas-lickona/
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Qualitative+Research%3A+A+Guide+to+Design+and+Implementation%2C+4th+Edition-p-9781119003601
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Cai, L., Huang, P., & Guo, Y. (2024). Relationship between parental involvement and children's positive mental character during early years: The moderating role of parent-teacher relationship and teacher-parent relationship. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1438784. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1438784
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Mann, J., Gray, T., Truong, S., Brymer, E., Passy, R., Ho, S., Sahlberg, P., Ward, K., Bentsen, P., Curry, C., & Cowper, R. (2022). Getting out of the classroom and into nature: A systematic review of nature-specific outdoor learning on school children's learning and development. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, Article 877058. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.877058
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Musengamana, I. (2023). A systematic review of literature on parental involvement and its impact on children's learning outcomes. Open Access Library Journal, 10, e10755. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1110755
Putri, R. W. (2024). The influence of nature school's curriculum on students' environmentally caring behaviour: Study on Sekolah Alam Bekasi. Asian Journal Collaboration of Social Environmental and Education, 2(3), 1149.
Qushwa, F. G., Putri, D. F., & Jali, H. (2025). Integration of teacher exemplary behavior in character education to build a globally perspective madrasah generation. EDUCARE: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 4(1), 1-13.
Rais Abin, A., Budi Wiyono, B., Bafadal, I., & Utaya, S. (2022). A humanistic education management approach based on the principle of Kesangtimuran: Strategies in character education strengthening in Catholic elementary school in Indonesia. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 12(4), 280-287. https://doi.org/10.47750/pegegog.12.04.29
Rifki, M., Sauri, S., Abdussalam, A., Supriadi, U., & Parid, M. (2023). Internalization of character values through teacher role models in schools. Basicedu Journal, 7(1), 1-10.
Sakban, A., & Sundawa, D. (2023). Character education: Direction and priority for national character development in Indonesia. Journal of Education, 9(3), 794-807. https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v9i3.7843
Sakti, S. A., Endraswara, S., & Rohman, A. (2024). Revitalizing local wisdom within character education through ethnopedagogy approach: A case study on a preschool in Yogyakarta. Heliyon, 10(10), Article e31370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31370
Sianturi, M., Lee, J.-S., & Cumming, T. M. (2022). Shifting the belief of the hard-to-reach parents to reachable parents: Parent-teacher collaboration within schools in a post-colonial country. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 97, Article 101892.
Sugiyono. (2017). Quantitative, qualitative, and R&D research methods. Alfabeta.
Supriyoko, Nisa, A. F., & Uktolseja, N. F. (2022). The nature-based school curriculum: A solution to learning-teaching that promotes students' freedom. Cakrawala Pendidikan, 41(3), 643-652. https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v41i3.43763
Thornberg, R. (2023). Longitudinal link between moral disengagement and bullying among children and adolescents: A systematic review. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 20(6), 1099-1129.
Wardani, I. K., Nugroho, A. C., Sabekti, M., Sutopo, A., & Anif, S. (2024). Leadership based on Ki Hajar Dewantara's educational trilogy to support the implementation of the independent learning curriculum in elementary schools. Didaktika: Journal of Education, 13(2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.58230/27454312.530
Widyantoro, B. D., Purwoatmodjo, D., Ni'mah, T., Utomo, S., & Hariyadi, A. (2023). Ki Hajar Dewantara's Leadership Trilogy. Equity in Education Journal, 5(1), 80-87. https://doi.org/10.37304/eej.v5i1.8254
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Asrial, A., Syahrial, S., Sabil, H., Ryan, J., Cox, R., Emmitt, M., & Rahmi, R. (2024). Science teacher’s book: Analyzing elementary school students’ character values. Scientific Journal of Applied Sciences, University of Jambi, 8(1), 180–187. https://doi.org/10.22437/jiituj.v8i1.32766
Mawadha, P. R., Alfiana, R., Yulifianti, R., Rahmah, Sr., Mahendra, T., Destrinelli, D., & Sofwan, M. (2024). The contribution of Pancasila values as a foundation in building character values of students in elementary schools. Journal on Education, 6(3). https://jonedu.org/index.php/joe/article/view/5533
Rahmawati, N. A., & Sofwan, M. (2025). Implementation of the 3S school culture (Smile, Greet, and Say Hello) in elementary schools. Ainara Journal (Journal of Research and PKM in the Field of Educational Sciences), 6(1). https://doi.org/10.54371/ainj.v6i1.784
Supian. (2022). Islamic religious education and character building of students: Integration of Islamic values in the learning process at school. University of Jambi Press.
Syafitri, S., Sholeh, M., Fransiska, A., Tasya, A., Amanda, A. F., Lorenza, D. M., Hidayat, R., & Hoiriyah, V. N. (2024). Transformation of student character due to the use of technology. NUSRA: Journal of Research and Educational Sciences, 5(2), 499–508. https://doi.org/10.55681/nusra.v5i2.2496
Syahrial, S., Asrial, A., Sabil, H., Kurniawan, D. A., Perdana, R., & Kiska, N. D. (2022). Development of e-module based on the traditional Puyuh game on the cooperation character and the tolerance of elementary school students. Journal of Innovation in Educational and Cultural Research, 3(3), 478–486. https://doi.org/10.46843/jiecr.v3i3.154
Arthur, J. (2008). Traditional approaches to character education in Britain and America. In L. Nucci & D. Narvaez (Eds.), Handbook of moral and character education (pp. 80–98). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203931431
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall. https://www.asecib.ase.ro/mps/Bandura_SocialLearningTheory.pdf
Berkowitz, M. W., & Bier, M. C. (2005). What works in character education: A research-driven guide for educators. Character Education Partnership. https://characterandcitizenship.org/images/files/WhatWorksinCharacterEducation.pdf
Berkowitz, M. W., Bier, M. C., & McCauley, B. (2017). Effective features and practices that support character development. Journal of Character Education, 13(1), 33–51. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318430699
Berkowitz, M. W., & Grych, J. H. (2000). Early character development and education. Early Education and Development, 11(1), 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15566935eed1101_4
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv26071r6
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/qualitative-inquiry-and-research-design/book246896
Dahl, A., Tyack, P., & Ware, E. A. (2022). The development of prosocial behavior in early childhood. Psychological Review, 129(2), 375–411. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000246
Davidson, M., Lickona, T., & Khmelkov, V. (2007). Smart & good schools: A new paradigm for high school character education. In L. Nucci & D. Narvaez (Eds.), Handbook of moral and character education (pp. 370–390). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203931431
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2018). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-handbook-of-qualitative-research/book242504
Eccles, J. S., & Harold, R. D. (1993). Parent-school involvement during the early adolescent years. Teachers College Record, 94(3), 568–587. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146819309400309
Epstein, J. L. (2010). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools (2nd ed.). Westview Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429494673
Gibbs, J. C. (2003). Moral development and reality: Beyond the theories of Kohlberg and Hoffman. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452204987
Haddon, A., Cairns, D., & Stewart, S. (2019). Service learning and character development in schools: A systematic review. Journal of Moral Education, 48(4), 430–449. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2018.1545437
Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools. https://sedl.org/connections/resources/evidence.pdf
Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. M. (1995). Parental involvement in children’s education: Why does it make a difference? Teachers College Record, 97(2), 310–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146819509700202
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7506-7223-8.50017-4
Lapsley, D., & Yeager, D. (2013). Moral-character education. In W. Reynolds, G. Miller, & I. Weiner (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Educational psychology (Vol. 7, pp. 147–177). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118133880.hop207006
Lickona, T. (1991). Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. Bantam Books. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/145427/educating-for-character-by-thomas-lickona/
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Qualitative+Research%3A+A+Guide+to+Design+and+Implementation%2C+4th+Edition-p-9781119003601
Narvaez, D., & Lapsley, D. K. (Eds.). (2009). Personality, identity, and character: Explorations in moral psychology. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511627125
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. Simon & Schuster. https://doi.org/10.1145/358916.361990
Ryan, K., & Bohlin, K. E. (1999). Building character in schools: Practical ways to bring moral instruction to life. Jossey-Bass. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Building+Character+in+Schools%3A+Practical+Ways+to+Bring+Moral+Instruction+to+Life-p-9780787940690
Watson, M. (2014). Developmental discipline and moral education. In L. Nucci, D. Narvaez, & T. Krettenauer (Eds.), Handbook of moral and character education (2nd ed., pp. 175–194). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203114896
Published
2026-06-16
How to Cite
Sholeh, M., Syahrial, S., Supian, S., & Sofwan, M. (2026). Strengthening Student Character Education at the Tri Integrated Nature School of Education Center. GHAITSA : Islamic Education Journal , 7(2), 115-129. https://doi.org/10.62159/ghaitsa.v7i2.2453
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Articles
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Sholeh, Syahrial Syahrial, Supian Supian, Muhammad Sofwan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
