Social Competence of Christian Religious Education Teachers in Teaching the Importance of Covenant: A Reflection on Genesis 31:44-45 at SD Negeri 021 Tambusai

Abstract

This study examines the social competence of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers in teaching the importance of covenant based on Genesis 31:44-45 at SD Negeri 021 Tambusai, Rokan Hulu. The research is grounded in the understanding that teachers’ relational capacity plays a decisive role in helping students internalize biblical moral values. Employing a qualitative descriptive design combined with a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), the study draws on classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The research context involves 176 Christian students and five Christian teachers, with the CRE teacher serving as the primary key informant. The findings indicate that the CRE teacher demonstrates strong social competence, particularly in communicative clarity, relational warmth, and responsiveness to students’ needs. Students generally show good cognitive understanding of the covenant concept in Genesis 31:44-45, recognizing the importance of keeping promises before God and others. However, the depth of behavioral internalization varies among students, suggesting a gap between moral understanding and consistent practice. The SLR supports the finding that effective character formation requires not only relational teaching but also structured experiential reinforcement and ecological consistency within the school environment. The study concludes that teacher social competence significantly supports covenant-based moral learning in Christian Religious Education. Nevertheless, deeper transformation can be achieved through expanded experiential strategies, dilemma-based reflection, and stronger whole-school value integration. These findings contribute to the development of more relationally grounded and pedagogically effective CRE practices in Indonesian primary education contexts.