The Influence of the Habit of Maintaining A Clean School Environment on the Character of Grade III Elementary School Students at SDN 11 Jatimulya, Bekasi

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of the habit of maintaining environmental cleanliness on the character of third-grade elementary school students. The background of this research is the importance of instilling cleanliness habits from an early age to shape positive character traits in students. The research employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 30 third-grade students selected using purposive sampling. The research instruments included questionnaires and observation sheets, which had been tested for validity and reliability. Data analysis was carried out using normality tests, homogeneity tests, and t-tests to examine the hypothesis. In this study, the data collection instruments used were questionnaires and observations. The questionnaire data was obtained using a Likert scale, a scale used to measure attitudes, structured in the form of questions and followed by 31 respondents who indicated the level with alternative answers: Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never to measure variables x and y. The results showed that there was a significant influence between the habit of maintaining environmental cleanliness and the character formation of students. This was evidenced by the t-count value of 4.25, which was greater than the t-table value of 2.04 at a significance level of 5%. Therefore, the habit of maintaining environmental cleanliness can improve students’ discipline, responsibility, and environmental awareness.