Character Education through the Pesantren Tradition: A Study of Pondok Pesantren As'adiyah's Pedagogical Practices in Cultivating Akhlaqul Karimah among Students in Sengkang, Indonesia

Abstract

This qualitative study examines character education practices at Universitas Islam As'adiyah in Sengkang, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, focusing on how the pesantren tradition's pedagogical structures cultivate akhlaqul karimah (noble character) among students. Drawing on ethnographic classroom and dormitory observations, document analysis, and in-depth interviews with 26 students and 10 educators, the study explores how As'adiyah's distinctive synthesis of classical kitab kuning instruction, structured communal living, and exemplary teacher modeling (uswah hasanah) generates character formation outcomes that extend beyond formal curricular instruction. Findings indicate that the kyai-santri relational hierarchy, communal pesantren living arrangements, and ta'zim (respectful deference) practices function as an integrated pedagogical mechanism for character cultivation, while contemporary challenges, including digital media exposure and generational shifts in santri religious orientation, create adaptive tensions within the traditional character education model. The study proposes a contextually grounded framework for understanding the effectiveness of character education within South Sulawesi's distinctive Bugis-Islamic pesantren educational tradition.