Indonesian Values and Character Education Journal
Vol. 8 No. 2 (2025): October

The Character in Transit: Rethinking Moral Education through Children’s Urban Experiences

Audrey Rosdiana Putri (Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)
Hisny Fajrussalam (Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)
Sofyan Iskandar (Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)
Wina Mustikaati (Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)
Primanita Sholihah Rosmana (Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)
Ihsan Abdul Patah (Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
25 Oct 2025

Abstract

The degradation of children’s character, such as declining discipline and responsibility, has become a major concern in primary education. Formal classroom learning is often considered ineffective in deeply internalizing moral values. This study aims to explore how elementary school students’ experiences in using mikrotrans public transportation contribute to character development. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research involved seven participants, consisting of a school principal, a teacher, two parents, two mikrotrans drivers, and an education observer. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, documentation, and focus group discussions (FGDs), and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model. The findings reveal that experiences gained from using mikrotrans strengthen students’ character traits such as discipline, responsibility, independence, social awareness, tolerance, and communication. These findings highlight the urgency of expanding character education beyond classroom settings by integrating students’ daily mobility experiences as meaningful and contextual learning spaces. This research implies the need to develop strategies for character education that are grounded in real-life experiences and relevant to students’ everyday lives, particularly through the use of public transportation by elementary school students.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

IVCEJ

Publisher

Subject

Education

Description

Indonesian Values and Character Education Journal is a general journal published by Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha. This journal aims to accommodate articles of research results in the social field. In the end, this Journal can provide a description of the development of science and technology in ...