Teachers as Wise Educators in Guiding Students’ Character: Implementation of Personality Competence at SD Negeri 030414 Kecupak

Abstract

Character education constitutes a foundational mission of Indonesia’s national education system, emphasizing the formation of moral integrity and ethical awareness alongside cognitive growth. This study explores the pivotal role of teachers as wise educators in guiding students’ character through the implementation of personality competence at SD Negeri 030414 Kecupak. Employing a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) guided by PRISMA standards, forty-two peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2024 were analyzed to synthesize current knowledge on teacher personality competence and character education practices. The findings reveal that teachers’ personality competence-encompassing integrity, emotional maturity, and moral wisdom-serves as the ethical foundation of effective character formation in elementary education. Teachers who model honesty, patience, and compassion exert a formative influence that extends beyond instruction, shaping students’ moral reasoning and social behavior through daily interaction. The review also highlights contextual challenges, including emotional exhaustion, limited institutional support, and competing academic demands, which often hinder the full embodiment of moral guidance. Nonetheless, evidence from both literature and the case of SD Negeri 030414 Kecupak suggests that reflective practice, spiritual grounding, and collegial collaboration enhance teachers’ moral resilience and pedagogical empathy. The synthesis concludes that personality competence is not a static trait but a dynamic, evolving disposition sustained through self-reflection, relational engagement, and community support. The study affirms that investing in teachers’ moral and emotional formation is essential to building character-driven schools, where education transcends intellectual development to become a transformative moral vocation.