<![CDATA[This study examines how Islamic Religious Education teachers cultivate religious values through congregational Dhuha prayer at SMP A. Wahid Hasyim 2 Rejoso, Pasuruan, Indonesia. It focuses on the relationship between teacher strategies, students’ participation, and the continuity of worship practices beyond school. A descriptive qualitative approach was used. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation involving school leaders, teachers, and students. Interviews cited in the findings were conducted in August 2025. Analysis involved data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, supported by source and technique triangulation. The findings identify four interrelated strategies: teacher modeling, habituation, guidance, and discipline. Prayer was scheduled from Tuesday to Saturday before classroom instruction. Teachers demonstrated participation, encouraged students to arrive prepared for worship, provided persuasive guidance, and supervised orderliness. These practices offered opportunities to cultivate worship, responsibility, discipline, and respectful conduct. However, accounts of delayed prayer, inadequate facilities, and inconsistent worship at home show that participation did not necessarily indicate autonomous religious commitment. Some students reported extending the practice to their homes, whereas others continued to depend on the school routine. The study suggests that religious character education requires both organized practice and opportunities to understand its meaning. Its contribution lies in distinguishing observable participation from the uneven transfer of religious habits across settings. The findings support closer coordination among teachers, school leaders, and families, while remaining limited to a single school and qualitative accounts rather than measured causal effects.]]>
