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| Character Education Book |
Understanding of character according to the Ministry of Education Language Center is "innate, heart, soul, personality, character, behavior, personality, traits, habits, temperament, character". Character is personality, behavior, traits, habits, and character ".
According to Tadkiroatun Musfiroh (UNY, 2008), a character refers to a series of attitudes (attitudes), behaviors (behaviors), motivations, and skills.
Character comes from Greek which means "to mark" or to mark and focus on how to apply good values in the form of actions or behaviors, so that dishonest, cruel, greedy, and other bad behaviors are said to be bad characters. Conversely, people whose behavior obeys moral rules is called a noble character.
Noble character means that a person has knowledge of his potential, marked by values such as reflective, confident, rational, logical, critical, analytical, creative and innovative, independent, healthy life, responsible, love of science, patient, careful, careful, willing to sacrifice brave, trustworthy, honest, keep promises, fair, humble, shameless, forgiving, gentle, loyal, hardworking, diligent, tough/persistent, thorough, initiative, positive thinking, discipline, anticipatory, visionary initiative, unpretentious, vibrant, dynamic, economical, efficient, satisfying time, devotion/devotion, self-control, productive, friendly, love of beauty (aesthetic), sportsmanship, steadfast, open, orderly.
The Importance of Character Education
Awareness in individuals to do the best, and act based on the potential in their awareness. His distinctive feature is the realization of positive development as an individual (intellectual, emotional, social, ethical, and behavioral).A person with good character or superior is someone who tries to do the best things about God, himself, others, the environment, the nation, and international countries in general by optimizing their potential (knowledge) and accompanied by awareness, emotions, and motivation ( feeling).
Character education is a system that instills character values into school members which include components of knowledge, awareness or will, and actions to implement these values. Character education can be interpreted as "the deliberate use of all dimensions of school life to encourage optimal character development".
In character education in schools, all components (stakeholders) must be involved, including the education component itself, curriculum content, learning and assessment processes, handling or managing subjects, school management, implementing co-curricular activities or activities, empowering infrastructure, financing, and the work ethic of all school/neighborhood residents. In addition, character education is defined as the behavior of school dwellers who carry out education must be characteristic.
According to David Elkind & Freddy Sweet Ph.D. (2004), character education is as follows: "Character education is a deliberate effort to help people understand, care, and act based on core ethical values.
When you ask yourself the type of character you want for children, you will definitely get the right kind of character, try to do what is good, and do the right belief, even in the face of external pressures and temptations.
Further explained that character education is everything that the teacher does, which is able to influence the character of students. The teacher helps shape the character of students. This includes examples of how to master tolerance, how teachers speak, how teachers behave in delivering material, and other related matters.
Character education has the same essence and meaning as moral education and sexual education. The aim is to shape the child's personal life, be a good human being, a citizen, and a good citizen according to T. Ramli (2003).
As for the good human criteria, good citizens, and citizens who are good for a society or nation, in general, are certain social values, which are heavily influenced by the culture of society and its people.
Therefore, the nature of character education in the context of education in Indonesia is the education of values, namely the education of noble values derived from Indonesian culture itself, in order to foster the personality of the younger generation.
Character education is based on basic human characters, which come from universal (absolute) moral values derived from religion, also referred to as the golden rule. Character education can have definite goals when based on these basic character values.
According to psychologists, some basic character values are Love for God and his creativity (nature with content), responsibility, honesty, respect and courtesy, affection, attention, and cooperation, self-confidence, creative, hard work, and never give up justice and leadership; Good and humble, tolerance, peace, and love of unity.
Other opinions say that basic human characteristics consist of: trustworthy, respectful and caring, caring, honest, responsible; Nationality, sincerity, courage, perseverance, discipline, visionary, fair, and have integrity.
If you want to carry out character education in schools must be based on basic character values, then develop it into a higher value (relative) to adjust the needs of the school environment and the conditions themselves.
At present many parties demand an increase in the intensity and quality of the implementation of character education informal education institutions. This claim is based on a growing social phenomenon, namely an increase in juvenile delinquency in society, such as mass fights and other cases of moral decline.
In some large cities, this situation reaches a very disturbing peak. Therefore, formal education institutions as an official forum for the development of the younger generation are expected to increase their role in shaping the personality of students through increasing the intensity and quality of character education.
And some education experts have agreed on the formal education track to develop character education. However, there are differences of opinion between them about their approach and way of education.
In touch with the approach, some experts suggest the use of moral education approaches developed in Western countries, such as cognitive moral development approaches, value analysis approaches and approaches Clarification of value. Some others suggest the use of traditional approaches, namely through the planting of certain social values in learners.
Based on the grand design developed by Kemendiknas (2010), psychologically and socio-cultural character formation in individuals is a function of all human potential (cognitive, affective, contemplative, and psychomotor) in Context of social and cultural interactions (in families, schools, and communities) and lasts for life.
Scholars have expressed various theories on moral education. According to Hersh, et. Al. (1980), among the various theories that develop, there are six theories that are widely used; Namely: rational development approaches, consideration approaches, value clarification approaches, cognitive moral development approaches, and social-behavioral approaches.
Unlike the classification, Elias (1989) classified various theories that evolved into three, namely: cognitive approaches, affective approaches, and behavioral approaches. Classification is based on three elements of morality, which is the usual focus of psychological studies, namely: behavior, cognition, and affection.
Based on the above discussion, it is affirmed that character education is an effort that is systematically designed and implemented to help learners understand the values of human behavior related to the Lord Almighty, oneself, fellowmen, the environment, and nationality that manifest in mind, attitude, feelings, words, and deeds based on religious norms, laws, manners, cultures, and customs.
How Students Can Benefit From Character Education in school?
Character Education Our responsibility is, therefore, the importance of character education is very important since childhood, both academic and non-academic.Every parent must have a character education method, the teacher only helps him. To provide the best possible education for children to become successful people.
Source :
Kemendiknas. Pembinaan Pendidikan Karakter di Sekolah Menengah Pertama, 2010 in Jakarta
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