<![CDATA[Environmental care character education in elementary schools plays an important role in developing students’ habits and responsibility toward environmental sustainability. However, its implementation still faces various challenges and therefore requires in-depth examination. This study aimed to analyze students’ environmental care behavior, the implementation of environmental care character education, and the inhibiting factors affecting its internalization among fourth-grade students at SDN Unara. The research employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive research design. The participants consisted of five fourth-grade students selected through purposive sampling, a classroom teacher, and the school principal. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing techniques supported by source and technique triangulation. The findings revealed that students’ environmental care behavior was generally categorized as good, as demonstrated by their participation in classroom cleaning duties, maintaining classroom cleanliness, and disposing of waste in designated bins. The implementation of environmental care character education was carried out through routine habituation, spontaneous habituation, teacher role modeling, school culture, and support from a clean school environment and adequate sanitation facilities. The identified obstacles included the low environmental awareness of some students, the suboptimal implementation of school culture, and the lack of sustainable environmental programs. The study concludes that environmental care character education has been implemented relatively well; however, stronger programs and more consistent habituation are needed to enhance the effectiveness of students’ character development.]]>
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