Interactive Ethics Education as an Initial Approach to Character Development Among Elementary School Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62817/sentara.v1i2.546Keywords:
ethics; character education; elementary students; interactive education; community serviceAbstract
Character formation in elementary school requires ethical learning that is concrete, contextual, and reinforced over time. Preliminary observations at Budi Luhur Elementary School, Cimahi, identified a need to reinforce politeness, discipline, responsibility, environmental care, and respect for teachers and peers. This community service activity aimed to improve third-grade students' understanding of ethics and evaluate immediate changes in knowledge after an interactive educational session. The program was conducted on April 16, 2026, with 31 students using a pre-test, everyday-life scenarios, interactive presentation, discussion, question-and-answer activities, educational games, and a post-test. Paired analysis included 27 students with complete numeric data; four records were excluded because they were incomplete or non-numeric. The mean score increased from 41.85 to 43.70 out of 50, but the Wilcoxon signed-rank test did not show a statistically significant change (W = 15, p = 0.166). Seven students improved, 17 remained unchanged, and three declined. Process observations showed active participation, but engagement was not treated as evidence of effectiveness or character change. The activity is best interpreted as an initial educational program; sustained habituation, teacher modeling, parental involvement, repeated sessions, and follow-up evaluation with a more sensitive instrument are recommended.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Yosi Oktri, Endah Septiani, Risma Ayu Amelia, Alviona Rahayu, Neisa Verlianti
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