The Exemplary Role of Islamic Religious Education Teachers in Shaping Students’ Moral Values at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Hayatuddiniyah, Kalibasar Village, Tanah Laut

Abstract

This study examines the exemplary role of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) teachers in shaping students’ moral values at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Hayatuddiniyah, Kalibasar Village, Tanah Laut. The study employed field research with a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation and analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with credibility strengthened through triangulation and member checking. The findings indicate that teacher exemplarity is expressed through discipline, responsibility, politeness, religious conduct, and constructive social interaction. Moral internalization develops through imitation, identification, and internalization and is reflected in honesty, discipline, responsibility, politeness, and social concern among students. Religious school culture, consistent habituation, teacher modeling, and family support strengthen the process, while social media, digital exposure, family circumstances, and peer environments present challenges. The novelty of the study lies in conceptualizing teacher exemplarity as a contextual pedagogical mechanism through which moral values move from observable conduct to students’ habitual behavior in a rural Madrasah Ibtidaiyah setting