The Implementation of Religious Activities in Shaping Students’ Discipline and Akhlakul Karimah at MTs Darul Aitam Jerowaru

Abstract

This study is motivated by the need to better understand how religious activities contribute to students’ discipline and akhlakul karimah in Islamic secondary education. It aims to examine the forms of religious activities implemented at MTs Darul Aitam Jerowaru and explain how these activities contribute to students’ disciplinary and moral development. The study employed a qualitative case study design. Participants comprised the principal, teachers responsible for religious activities, and selected students, recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected through non-participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using descriptive qualitative analysis with source and technique triangulation. The findings indicate that Qur’anic tadarus, collective prayer, congregational Dhuhr prayer, greeting and handshaking practices, and other religious routines were systematically integrated into the madrasah’s daily activities. These practices contributed to improved punctuality, orderly participation, responsibility, self-control, respect, and polite social interaction. The findings further demonstrate that their formative effects depended not on ritual participation alone but on four interconnected mechanisms: habituation, teacher role modeling, continuous supervision, and corrective guidance. The study concludes that institutionalized religious activities can function as an effective pedagogical mechanism for developing discipline and akhlakul karimah when consistently practiced and supported by teachers. The study contributes a process-oriented understanding of religious character formation and recommends longitudinal, comparative, and mixed-method research to examine sustainability and broader contextual influences.