Pedagogical Competence of Christian Religious Education Teachers in Guiding Students to Appreciate God’s Gifts: A Study of Genesis 33:11 at UPTD SDN 074041 Lolomboli

Abstract

This study examines the pedagogical competence of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers in guiding students to appreciate God’s gifts, grounded in the theological message of Genesis 33:11, at UPTD SDN 074041 Lolomboli, Kota Gunungsitoli. The concept of gratitude and appreciation for divine blessings is a central value in Christian education, shaping students’ spiritual awareness, moral character, and responsible attitudes toward learning and daily life. Despite its importance, empirical studies that integrate biblical theology with pedagogical competence in Indonesian public elementary schools remain limited. This research addresses this gap by analyzing how teachers’ pedagogical skills contribute to students’ understanding and internalization of gratitude as a Christian virtue. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 64 Christian students through structured questionnaires measuring perceptions of teachers’ pedagogical competence and students’ attitudes toward appreciating God’s gifts. The instrument assessed key dimensions of pedagogical competence, including lesson planning, instructional strategies, classroom management, use of learning media, and assessment practices. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were employed to examine the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical competence and students’ appreciation attitudes. The findings indicate that teachers’ pedagogical competence is at a high level and shows a statistically significant positive relationship with students’ ability to appreciate and express gratitude for God’s gifts. Effective instructional strategies and contextualized biblical teaching were found to be particularly influential in fostering students’ understanding of Genesis 33:11 in daily life. The study concludes that strengthening pedagogical competence is essential for integrating theological values with meaningful learning experiences. These results provide practical implications for professional development programs for CRE teachers and contribute to the growing body of research on faith-based character education in Indonesian elementary schools.