Character Education in Civic Education: A Qualitative Study of Elementary School Teachers in Tulang Bawang and West Lampung, Indonesia

Abstract

Character education in Civic Education (PKn) at the elementary school level plays a strategic role in shaping students' moral identity. This study aims to examine the internalization of character values, identify habituating practices and teacher modeling, and analyze the effectiveness of character integration based on Kohlberg's moral development theory. Using a qualitative-descriptive approach, data were collected through structured interviews with three elementary school teachers from different institutional contexts: a public school, a Merdeka Curriculum-based school, and an Islamic elementary school (madrasah ibtidaiyah). Data analysis followed the Miles, Huberman, and Saldana interactive model. The results indicate that core character values religiosity, honesty, discipline, and democratic attitudes have been identified and integrated into daily learning. However, most students remain at Kohlberg's conventional stage (Stage 3), with moral motivation still largely driven by external factors such as teacher authority and fear of punishment. Environmental barriers, including limited family support and uncritical social media consumption, significantly hinder deeper internalization. This study recommends contextual learning approaches, moral dilemma discussions, and a stronger school-family-community collaboration to promote post-conventional moral development