Islamic Character Formation through School-Based Habituation: The Roles of Islamic Education Teachers and the Family Environment

Abstract

Extracurricular activities are frequently treated as peripheral to the core work of schools, although they can also function as visible expressions of institutional values and educational quality. This study examines how extracurricular activities are managed and how their management contributes to school branding and perceived institutional competitiveness at MI Nurul Iman Tanjung Morawa, an Islamic elementary school in Indonesia. A qualitative case-study design was used, drawing on observation, interviews with school leaders and extracurricular teachers/coaches, and institutional documents. The analysis focused on program architecture, management practices, public visibility, and the meanings attached to these practices in relation to school branding. The findings show that the madrasah organizes a portfolio consisting of compulsory Scouting and elective religious, sports, martial arts, and arts programs. The programs are managed through planning, organizing, implementation, and monitoring practices, including annual program formulation, coach assignment, scheduling, routine supervision, and periodic evaluation. Competitions, performances, exhibitions, and other public-facing activities provide occasions through which program outcomes become visible beyond the school. The case therefore supports an interpretive mechanism in which consistent extracurricular governance enables program quality and visible student outputs, which may contribute to institutional identity, public reputation, and perceived differentiation. However, the study does not establish causal effects on enrollment growth, accreditation results, or graduate outcomes because longitudinal and outcome-specific data were not available.