Christian Religious Education Teachers’ Interpersonal Skills in Promoting Love and Self-Control: A Case Study at SMKN 1 Percut Sei Tuan
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This study examines the interpersonal skills of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers in promoting love and self-control among students at SMKN 1 Percut Sei Tuan. Grounded in both educational psychology and Christian ethical reflection on Exodus 20:17, this research highlights the importance of relational competence as a core dimension of effective Christian teaching. Interpersonal skills are understood as teachers’ abilities to communicate respectfully, demonstrate empathy, manage emotions, and build supportive teacher–student relationships. These competencies are essential for fostering students’ moral and emotional development in contemporary school contexts. This study employed a quantitative descriptive-correlational design involving 195 Christian students as respondents. Data were collected using structured questionnaires measuring students’ perceptions of teachers’ interpersonal skills as well as students’ self-reported levels of love and self-control. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, including Pearson correlation and multiple regression, were used to examine relationships among variables. The results indicate that students generally perceive CRE teachers as demonstrating high levels of interpersonal skills. The study also reveals that teachers’ emotional self-control contributes to a classroom climate that supports moral learning and relational trust. This study concludes that interpersonal skills are a critical component of Christian Religious Education and play a significant role in shaping students’ character. The findings emphasize the need for continuous professional development focused on relational competence and emotional intelligence for CRE teachers. By strengthening interpersonal capacities, Christian education can more effectively integrate biblical values with students’ daily relational and emotional experiences.
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