<![CDATA[Purpose – Character education in boarding madrasah requires a management approach that integrates classroom learning with habit formation and guidance in dormitory life. This study aims to formulate a collaborative, integrative character education management model based on a case study of MAN Insan Cendekia Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI), by examining the collaboration between Islamic Religious Education teachers and dormitory counselors as a mechanism linking the two educational environments. Method – This study employed a qualitative approach using a case study design. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and documentation involving Islamic Education teachers, dormitory counselors, and students. The data were analyzed through data condensation, data presentation, and the drawing and verification of conclusions, using triangulation of sources and techniques. Findings – The study identified three main findings: (1) the alignment of academic learning and boarding school programs through planning and coordination among teachers and counselors; (2) the instillation of values through habit formation, leading by example, religious activities, social activities, and the management of personal needs; and (3) the monitoring of behavior through mentoring, rules and regulations, rewards, educational consequences, and evaluation. Religious devotion, nationalism, independence, mutual cooperation, and integrity are positioned as the targets of guidance, rather than measurable outcomes of character change. These three findings form the basis for constructing a model that links program alignment, role distribution, cross-environmental practices, and monitoring through the functions of planning, organizing, implementing, and controlling. Implication – The model’s contribution lies in the operationalization of the connection between classrooms and dormitories within a collaborative management mechanism. The model is a contextual synthesis based on a single madrasah and has not yet been widely tested; this study describes the process of character education management rather than proving the model’s effectiveness in improving students’ character]]>
