<![CDATA[The formation of spiritual commitment among students in faith-based primary schools is often influenced by cultural dynamics embedded in everyday educational practices. However, existing studies have predominantly examined spiritual commitment through curricular or behavioral perspectives, leaving the influence of institutional culture relatively underexplored. This study aims to investigate how cultural factors shape the development of students’ spiritual commitment in religious educational settings in Palembang City. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of habitus and Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power, this study employs a descriptive qualitative case study design. The participants were purposively selected based on their direct involvement in everyday school practices. They included classroom teachers and assistant teachers as the primary implementers of daily educational activities, students as the direct recipients of the formative process, and the school principal as the key actor shaping institutional policies and school culture. Data were collected through observations and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman framework. The findings identify three major cultural barriers. First, religious activities implemented as administrative obligations tend to be perceived as routine requirements rather than meaningful spiritual experiences. Second, an institutional emphasis on the regularity of religious practices encourages evaluation based on attendance and procedural compliance, thereby limiting deeper value internalization. Third, inconsistencies in educators’ role modelling create a gap between normative discourse and everyday practice, ultimately undermining the credibility of the values being promoted. Theoretically, this study extends perspectives on spiritual education by demonstrating how institutional habitus and disciplinary mechanisms can simultaneously encourage religious participation while constraining the development of authentic spiritual commitment among students.]]>
