Reflecting God’s Glory in the Classroom: Personal Competence of Christian Religious Education Teachers Inspired by Exodus 40:9 at SMP Methodist Kabanjahe
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Abstract
The personal competence of teachers plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of Christian Religious Education, particularly in shaping students’ spiritual understanding and character formation. Teachers are not only responsible for conveying biblical knowledge but also for reflecting Christian values through their attitudes, behavior, and personal integrity. This study aims to examine how the personal competence of Christian Religious Education teachers reflects the glory of God in the classroom, inspired by the theological reflection of Exodus 40:9. The research was conducted at SMP Methodist Kabanjahe, a Christian-based junior high school with 121 Christian students and 22 Christian teachers, including teachers responsible for Christian Religious Education. This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach to explore the experiences and perspectives of teachers and students within the learning environment. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and documentation analysis. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to the manifestation of teachers’ personal competence in teaching practice. The findings indicate that the personal competence of Christian Religious Education teachers is expressed through several key dimensions, including spiritual integrity, moral consistency, relational sensitivity, pedagogical responsibility, and exemplary character. The study also highlights that when teachers embody biblical principles in their daily interactions with students, the classroom becomes a space where spiritual formation and character development can occur simultaneously. Ultimately, the study concludes that strengthening the personal competence of Christian Religious Education teachers is essential for enhancing the quality of Christian education and fostering students who are spiritually mature and ethically responsible.
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