The Influence of Social Skills on Shaping Students Moral Character at MI Assa'adiyah Attahiriyah, East Jakarta

Abstract

The development of students’ moral character has become an increasingly important challenge in the digital era, where social distractions may influence children's attitudes and behavior. This study aimed to examine the effect of social competence on the moral character of students at MI Assa’adiyah Attahiriyah, East Jakarta. A quantitative approach employing a survey method was used, involving 62 students (41 boys and 21 girls) selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires measuring two variables, namely social competence and moral character, with responses rated on a five-point Likert scale. The results revealed that social competence had a significant positive effect on students’ moral character (r = 0.619; t = 6.098 > 2.000; p < 0.05), accounting for 38.4% of the variance. The findings indicate that social competence, reflected in positive social interaction, cooperation, empathy, communication, and sharing, plays a crucial role in fostering students’ moral character within the madrasah environment. These findings suggest that madrasahs should systematically integrate social competence development into classroom instruction and daily school culture. This study is limited by its relatively small sample size and its focus on a single madrasah, which may restrict the generalizability of the findings. The use of self-report questionnaires may also have introduced response bias among participants. The findings provide directions for future research to involve larger and more diverse samples, employ mixed-methods approaches, and examine additional factors that may contribute to the development of students’ moral character, including family environment, school culture, and digital media exposure.