Pedagogical Competence of Christian Religious Education Teachers in Teaching Discipline: A Reflection on Exodus 39:1 at SMP Negeri 2 Pagai Selatan

Abstract

This study investigates the pedagogical competence of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers in teaching the value of discipline through a biblical reflection on Exodus 39:1 at SMP Negeri 2 Pagai Selatan, Kepulauan Mentawai. Pedagogical competence is a crucial determinant of effective learning, particularly in religious education where cognitive understanding must be integrated with character formation. The study employed a quantitative descriptive design involving 22 Christian teachers and 250 Christian students. Total sampling was used for students, while saturated sampling was applied to teachers. Data were collected through a Likert-scale teacher competence questionnaire, a student perception questionnaire, and a cognitive test measuring students’ understanding of the discipline value reflected in Exodus 39:1. Instrument validity was examined through expert judgment, and reliability testing using Cronbach’s Alpha indicated acceptable consistency (α > 0.70). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple regression. The findings reveal that the pedagogical competence of CRE teachers is generally high, particularly in lesson planning and classroom management. However, the integration of varied instructional media and participatory strategies remains moderately developed. Students demonstrated moderate-to-high understanding of the discipline concept, with stronger performance in narrative recall than in reflective application. Inferential analysis shows a significant positive relationship between teachers’ pedagogical competence and students’ understanding (r > 0.60, p < 0.05), with pedagogical competence explaining a meaningful proportion of learning variance. The study concludes that strengthening interactive pedagogy and contextual biblical teaching is essential for deepening students’ internalization of discipline values in Christian Religious Education.