Teachers’ Social Competence and the Internalization of Batak Culture in Students’ Character Formation at UPTD SDN 125538 Pematangsiantar
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Abstract
Education functions not only as a means of knowledge transmission but also as a process of character formation aimed at shaping students with integrity and strong moral foundations. Teachers play a dual role as both instructors and moral exemplars, with social competence serving as the foundation for building trust, empathy, and constructive interaction in the classroom and wider community. In the Indonesian context, this competence is critical because education is expected to produce not only academically capable individuals but also citizens who uphold cultural identity. Within North Sumatra, Batak cultural values—particularly the philosophy of Dalihan Na Tolu and practices such as marsiadapari (mutual cooperation)—offer a moral framework that can be integrated into character education. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach at UPTD SDN 125538 Pematangsiantar, involving classroom teachers, students, parents, and the school principal selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation of school activities, and were analyzed through interactive techniques of data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing, with triangulation applied to ensure validity. The findings demonstrate that teachers exhibit strong social competence by fostering positive communication, mediating conflicts fairly, and collaborating with parents. These competencies enable the meaningful internalization of Batak cultural values into daily educational practices, thereby strengthening students’ respect, discipline, solidarity, and cultural rootedness. In conclusion, the synergy between teachers’ social competence and Batak cultural values creates a culturally responsive model of character education that prepares students to become intellectually capable, morally upright, and culturally grounded individuals.
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