Blended Learning as a Pedagogical Ecology: Relational-Regulatory Functions in the Internalization of Pancasila Values and the Strengthening of Good Character

Blended learning (BL) has become increasingly established in higher education, yet research has focused more on effectiveness, engagement, and learning regulation than on how face-to-face and online learning jointly facilitate value internalization. In Pancasila Education, this issue matters because learning outcomes extend beyond knowledge of values to students’ decision-making and relationships. This exploratory qualitative study analyzed open-ended questionnaire responses from 67 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia students using directed qualitative content analysis, complemented by a contextual review of learning materials and activities available through SPOT UPI. The findings reveal four patterns. First, students perceived face-to-face learning primarily as a relational space for dialogue, clarification, deliberation, and collaboration. At the same time, online learning served mainly as a regulatory space for flexibility, access to materials, time management, and independence. These functions complemented each other but were not exclusive. Second, value internalization became visible when Pancasila shifted from content to be understood into a basis for decision-making, respect for differences, rule compliance, and responsibility. Third, good character was associated with relational pathways toward justice and collaboration and self-regulatory pathways toward discipline, responsibility, and work ethic. Social support, digital culture, and LMS reliability influenced these processes. Fourth, discrepancies between ideal values and reality triggered moral reflection for some students, described as productive moral dissonance. The study interprets BL as an architecture of relational-regulatory functions and suggests connecting social interaction, self-regulation, authentic cases, reflection, process assessment, and reliable digital infrastructure in Pancasila Education. Keywords: Pancasila education, Value internalization, Blended learning; Good character; Higher education