TEACHERS' STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING RELIGIOUS CHARACTER AND STUDENTS' CURIOSITY THROUGH PHYSICS TEACHING

Abstrak

This study aims to explore the strategic role of physics teachers in developing students’ religious character and curiosity through character-based science education. Using a qualitative naturalistic approach, the research was conducted at SMAN 10 Jambi, focusing on one physics teacher and selected students from class XI F4 through snowball sampling. Data were collected using interview guides and documentation, then analyzed through Miles and Huberman’s interactive model, including data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The results show that the teacher plays a significant role in fostering religious values by integrating spiritual reflections into physics lessons, such as linking scientific concepts to the greatness of God and encouraging gratitude through learning activities. Simultaneously, the teacher cultivates curiosity by using inquiry-based strategies, encouraging students to question, discuss, and explore natural phenomena actively. This combination strengthens both moral and scientific reasoning among students. The novelty of this study lies in the integration of two core characters religiosity and curiosity within a single instructional framework of physics education, which is rarely examined in previous studies. The implication of this research highlights that character-based physics teaching not only enhances conceptual understanding but also promotes holistic student development, balancing scientific inquiry with spiritual awareness, and thus contributes to the advancement of humanistic-oriented physics education.