<![CDATA[The integration of madrasah and pesantren education in student character development continues to face challenges due to differences in governance, controlling patterns, activities, and character evaluation. This condition may lead to inconsistencies in the internalization of Islamic values and the development of students’ Islamic behavior. This study aims to analyze the implementation of pesantren-based character education and formulate an integrative model for developing students’ Islamic behavior. The study is grounded in Lev Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism Theory, Thomas Lickona’s character education theory encompassing moral knowing, moral feeling, and moral action, and Imam Al-Ghazali’s concept of tazkiyat al-nafs. The study employed a qualitative approach with a transcendental phenomenological design conducted at MA Madinatunnajah and MA Darul Masholeh in Cirebon City. Data were obtained through observation, interviews, and documentation involving 12 participants, and were analyzed using Moustakas’ phenomenological procedures, strengthened through source and technique triangulation. The findings show that pesantren-based character education is implemented through learning activities, religious habituation, teacher and caregiver role modeling, student activities, and daily controlling. The findings also indicate the need to strengthen functional integration between the madrasah and pesantren systems, particularly in character controlling and evaluation. Based on the synthesis of these findings, the study formulates the IPIP Model (Implementation, Controlling, Internalization, and Islamic Behavior) as an integrative framework connecting program implementation, controlling, internalization of Islamic values, and the development of students’ Islamic behavior within an integrated educational ecosystem.]]>
