Crafting Perseverant Learners: Pedagogical Competence of Christian Religious Education Teachers Inspired by Exodus 37:1 at SMP Negeri 1 Rantau Utara

Abstract

This study examines how the pedagogical competence of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers contributes to the development of student perseverance, drawing conceptual inspiration from the craftsmanship motif in Exodus 37:1 and situating the inquiry at SMP Negeri 1 Rantau Utara. Using a mixed qualitative design that combines a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, the study explores the pedagogical processes through which perseverance is shaped as both an academic disposition and a moral-spiritual virtue. Eleven purposively selected participants-including CRE teachers, students, and school leaders-provided insights into how planning, instruction, assessment, and classroom climate influence students’ capacity to persist through challenges. Data were analyzed through an inductive thematic approach, triangulated with SLR findings to strengthen interpretive depth. The results show that perseverance emerges not from isolated motivational techniques but from a holistic pedagogical ecology. Teachers foster perseverance through structured lesson planning, relational and dialogic instruction, reflective formative assessment, and emotionally safe classroom environments. The theological image of craftsmanship in Exodus 37:1 enriches these practices by offering a metaphor of patient, purposeful effort that resonates with students’ learning experiences. Students demonstrate greater resilience when teachers model perseverance, encourage risk-taking, reframe mistakes as learning opportunities, and connect academic struggle with meaningful narratives of growth. Furthermore, the findings indicate that pedagogical competence is most effective when infused with relational sensitivity and a clear vision of character formation. This study concludes that the cultivation of perseverant learners requires an integrated pedagogy that combines professional expertise, relational support, and spiritually grounded meaning-making. The findings offer theoretical and practical contributions for educators seeking to strengthen perseverance as a core educational outcome.