This study explores how students’ disciplinary character is developed through habituation and school culture beyond formal rule enforcement at an elementary school in Semarang, Indonesia. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, passive participatory observation, and document analysis involving school principals, teachers, students, and parents. Data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with credibility established through source and method triangulation. The findings show that school rules serve as an initial behavioral framework, while disciplinary character develops through role modeling, repeated routines, positive reinforcement, guidance, and consistent school-wide practices. Habituation plays a central role in transforming externally directed behaviors into stable disciplinary habits. Consistent reinforcement by school members strengthens a shared culture of discipline and supports character internalization. Family involvement also extends disciplinary practices beyond school, although differences in parenting practices and student self-regulation may affect continuity. The study conceptualizes disciplinary character development as an interconnected process: school rules → role modeling → repeated practice → habituation → reinforcement → internalization → school culture. Sustainable discipline therefore requires an educational ecosystem that transforms rules into routines, routines into habits, and habits into a shared school culture.
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