Abstract This study is motivated by the gap between the ideal condition (das Sollen) mandated by Presidential Regulation Number 87 of 2017 and the empirical condition (das Sein) in the field, where the implementation of the congregational prayer program at two public elementary schools in Bandung still faces obstacles such as inadequate infrastructure, unstructured evaluation systems, and varying levels of parental support. The study aims to analyze the strategy for developing students' religious character through the congregational prayer program at SDN 029 Cilengkrang and SDN 247 Sukapura, Bandung City. A qualitative approach with a descriptive method was employed, utilizing in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document study as data collection techniques. The results show that: (1) the implementation of the congregational prayer program at SDN 029 is more effective (92% participation) compared to SDN 247 (88%) due to better facilities and evaluation; (2) the strategies of teacher modeling, scheduling, and reward-punishment have been applied but are not yet optimal at SDN 247; (3) the main supporting factors are teacher commitment and student awareness, while the main inhibiting factors are limited facilities and the influence of social media. The study concludes that the strategy for developing religious character through congregational prayer habituation at both schools has been implemented but is not yet optimal, thus requiring facility improvements, strengthening of evaluation, and enhanced collaboration with parents. Keywords Religious character; Congregational prayer; Habituation strategy; Elementary school Abstract Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh kesenjangan antara kondisi ideal (das Sollen) yang diamanatkan oleh Peraturan Presiden Nomor 87 Tahun 2017 dengan kondisi empirik (das Sein) di lapangan, di mana pelaksanaan program salat berjamaah di dua sekolah dasar negeri di Kota Bandung masih menghadapi kendala sarana prasarana, sistem evaluasi yang belum terstruktur, serta dukungan orang tua yang bervariasi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis strategi pengembangan karakter religius murid melalui program salat berjamaah di SDN 029 Cilengkrang dan SDN 247 Sukapura Kota Bandung. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode deskriptif, serta teknik pengumpulan data melalui wawancara mendalam, observasi partisipan, dan studi dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: (1) pelaksanaan program salat berjamaah di SDN 029 lebih efektif (partisipasi 92%) dibanding SDN 247 (88%) karena kesiapan sarana dan evaluasi; (2) strategi keteladanan, penjadwalan, dan reward-punishment telah diterapkan namun belum optimal di SDN 247; (3) faktor pendukung utama adalah komitmen guru dan kesadaran siswa, sementara faktor penghambat utama adalah keterbatasan sarana dan pengaruh media sosial. Simpulan penelitian ini adalah strategi pengembangan karakter religius melalui pembiasaan salat berjamaah di kedua sekolah telah berjalan namun belum optimal, sehingga diperlukan perbaikan sarana, penguatan evaluasi, dan peningkatan kolaborasi dengan orang tua. Keywords Karakter religius; Salat berjamaah; Strategi pembiasaan; Sekolah dasar
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