The Competence of Christian Religious Education Teachers in Addressing the Moral Crisis among Adolescents: Efforts toward Shaping a Golden Generation
Main Article Content
Abstract
The rapid advancement of technology and globalization has created both opportunities and moral challenges for adolescents. While access to information and global networks has expanded, young people are increasingly vulnerable to negative influences such as consumerism, individualism, and moral relativism, leading to behaviors like cyberbullying, violence, and substance abuse. Within this context, education—particularly Christian Religious Education (CRE)—plays a crucial role in fostering moral resilience and spiritual integrity. This study aimed to explore the competence of CRE teachers in addressing the moral crisis among adolescents at SMK Negeri 14 Medan. A qualitative descriptive design was employed to capture the complexities of teaching practice and moral formation. Data were collected through classroom observation, in-depth interviews with teachers, students, and administrators, and analysis of curriculum documents. Thematic analysis revealed four interrelated domains of teacher competence: professional, pedagogical, personal, and social. Teachers demonstrated solid mastery of theological content and applied interactive strategies such as case studies, role plays, and project-based learning to engage students in moral reflection. Personal integrity and role modeling emerged as the most influential factors in shaping student behavior, as adolescents were strongly inspired by teachers’ consistency between teaching and practice. However, challenges included limited instructional time, lack of contextualized teaching materials, heavy administrative burdens, and insufficient collaboration between schools, families, and churches. The study concludes that strengthening teacher competence through continuous professional development, curricular integration, and systemic support is essential for realizing a “golden generation” that is academically capable, morally grounded, and socially responsible.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Anthony, M. J., & Benson, W. S. (2011). Exploring the history and philosophy of Christian education: Principles for the 21st century. Wipf and Stock.
Astley, J. (2010). The philosophy of Christian religious education. Routledge.
Astuti, R. (2019). Character education and adolescent moral development in schools. Jakarta: Rajawali Press.
Banks, J. (2012). Teaching strategies for the social studies: Inquiry, valuing, and decision-making. Boston: Pearson.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). The right to learn: A blueprint for creating schools that work. Jossey-Bass.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Macmillan.
Killen, R. (2015). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice. Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Lickona, T. (1991). Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. Bantam Books.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Lovat, T. (2017). Values education as holistic development for all schools. Journal of Moral Education, 46(4), 480–490.
Noddings, N. (2005). The challenge to care in schools: An alternative approach to education. Teachers College Press.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (4th ed.). Sage.
Sergiovanni, T. J. (1994). Building community in schools. Jossey-Bass.
Situmorang, D. (2020). Challenges in Christian religious education in Indonesia. Yogyakarta: Kanisius.
Smith, C., & Snell, P. (2009). Souls in transition: The religious and spiritual lives of emerging adults. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Telaumbanua, Y. (2018). The role of Christian teachers in character formation. Medan: BPK Gunung Mulia.
Tilaar, H. A. R. (2012). Perubahan sosial dan pendidikan. Jakarta: Grasindo.
Tisdell, E. J. (2003). Exploring spirituality and culture in adult and higher education. Jossey-Bass.
Turkle, S. (2015). Reclaiming conversation: The power of talk in a digital age. Penguin.
Wahyudi, W. (2019). Religious education in Indonesia: Current issues and future challenges. Journal of Indonesian Social Sciences and Humanities, 9(1), 15–30.
Watson, J. (2010). Caring in education: Pastoral care in the classroom. Pastoral Care in Education, 28(1), 59–70.