The Influence of School Culture and Religious Activity Habituation Through Discipline on Students’ Religious and National Character

This study aims to analyze the influence of school culture and religious activity habituation on students’ religious and national character, with discipline as a mediating variable. The background of this research is the low level of students’ religious and national character, as reflected in violations of religious and social norms within schools. A quantitative approach with a survey method was employed. A total of 286 students were selected proportionally from several private junior high schools in Sukaresmi District, Cianjur Regency, using stratified random sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using path analysis with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that school culture and religious activity habituation have a positive and significant effect on student discipline, religious character, and national character, both directly and indirectly through discipline. Discipline plays a strong mediating role in the relationship between independent variables and student character. Activities such as congregational prayer, Qur’an recitation, and routine supplication contribute to instilling discipline and fostering religious and nationalist values. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening school culture and integrating religious activities in character education. In conclusion, students’ religious and national character can be significantly enhanced through a positive school culture and consistent religious practices, with discipline serving as a reinforcing foundation.