Pedagogical Reflection on the Sermon on the Mount and Its Implications for Christian Education at SD Negeri 078140 Orahili Sibohou

Abstract

Pedagogical reflection grounded in biblical teaching is increasingly recognized as essential for strengthening the effectiveness of Christian Religious Education (CRE). The Sermon on the Mount, particularly in Matthew 5-7, presents a transformative ethical framework that emphasizes compassion, righteousness, humility, and peace, values that are highly relevant to contemporary classroom practice. This study aims to examine the pedagogical implications of the Sermon on the Mount for Christian education at SD Negeri 078140 Orahili Sibohou, South Nias. The research employed a quantitative descriptive design with students as the primary respondents. The population consisted of 60 Christian students taught by one CRE teacher, and total sampling was applied to ensure comprehensive representation. Data were collected through a structured Likert-scale questionnaire measuring students’ perceptions of the teacher’s pedagogical sensitivity, caring attitude, moral modeling, and Christ-centered instructional approach. The instrument demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability prior to full deployment. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed that the overall implementation of Sermon-on-the-Mount-based pedagogy was in the high category. Students generally perceived the CRE teacher as demonstrating compassion, fairness, and moral consistency consistent with the teachings of Matthew 9:36 and related passages. The findings indicate that biblical pedagogical principles can be meaningfully operationalized in contemporary classroom settings and positively shape the relational climate of learning. The study concludes that pedagogical reflection rooted in the Sermon on the Mount provides a viable framework for strengthening spiritually grounded and student-centered Christian education in Indonesian primary schools.