Pedagogical Competence of Christian Religious Education Teachers in Teaching Obedience: A Reflective Study of Exodus 39:42-43 at SD Negeri 4 Baamang Hilir

Abstract

This study investigates the pedagogical competence of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers in teaching obedience through a reflective analysis of Exodus 39:42-43 within the educational context of SD Negeri 4 Baamang Hilir. The passage emphasizes Israel’s faithful compliance with God’s commands in constructing the tabernacle, culminating in Moses’ blessing. This research seeks to determine how the pedagogical competence of the CRE teacher contributes to students’ understanding of obedience as a theological and practical virtue. Using a quantitative descriptive method with a correlational approach, the study involved all 10 Christian students enrolled at the school as respondents. Data were collected through a structured Likert-scale questionnaire measuring two variables: teacher pedagogical competence and students’ comprehension of obedience in Exodus 39:42-43. The instrument was validated by educational experts and tested for reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment correlation were employed to analyze the data. The findings indicate a positive and statistically significant relationship between the teacher’s pedagogical competence and students’ understanding of obedience. Students demonstrated stronger conceptual and applicative comprehension when instruction was characterized by clear lesson planning, contextualized biblical interpretation, interactive teaching strategies, and formative feedback. The results suggest that effective pedagogy functions as a mediating bridge between biblical text and character formation, enabling learners to interpret obedience not merely as passive compliance but as intentional faithfulness expressed in daily school life. This study concludes that strengthening pedagogical competence among CRE teachers is essential for cultivating theological literacy and moral development, particularly within minority Christian learning contexts.