Social Competence of Christian Religious Education Teachers in Teaching the Identity of God’s People: An Exodus 19:4-Inspired Study at SD N 174 Tanjung Jabung Barat
Keywords:
Social Competence, Christian Religious Education, IdentityAbstract
This study investigates the social competence of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers in teaching the identity of God’s people, inspired by Exodus 19:4, within the learning context of SD N 174 Tanjung Jabung Barat. Social competence, encompassing communication, collaboration, empathy, and intercultural sensitivity, plays a critical role in shaping students’ understanding of their identity as God’s covenant community. With 160 Christian students and 32 Christian teachers, including CRE teachers, the school presents a unique microcosm for exploring how biblical identity formation is mediated through teacher-student interaction. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, this study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) enriched with limited interviews involving three CRE teachers and two Christian students. The SLR synthesizes recent scholarship on teacher social competence, faith-based identity formation, and biblical pedagogy. Exodus 19:4, depicting God’s saving act and covenantal calling, serves as the theological anchor for evaluating how teachers communicate belonging, dignity, and responsibility as God’s people. Findings reveal that teachers with strong social competence demonstrate effective relational communication, culturally responsive engagement, and the ability to contextualize biblical identity in students’ daily experiences. Teachers also model covenantal values such as care, responsibility, and respect, which enhances students’ self-understanding as God’s treasured people. This study concludes that social competence is indispensable for CRE teachers in fostering biblical identity formation. Schools are encouraged to develop structured training in relational communication, culturally grounded pedagogy, and collaborative learning communities to sustain the integration of Exodus 19:4 values within Christian education.
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