Character Building of Ethics in Primary Schools’ Academic

Documents of English Language Instruction

Terry Sulistyorini
State University of Jakarta

Abstract

The objectives of this research is to investigate the representation of character

building of ethics in primary schools’ academic documents of English language
instruction. This study used content analysis as the method. The data used in this
study were in the forms of words / phrases / clauses / sentences / illustrations.
The results showed that all character building of ethics (six core ethical values)
described by Josephson Institute of Ethics were found in the primary school’s
academic documents. Character building of ethic “Trustworthiness” in term of
“Integrity” is dominant in the educational government regulations and primary
school’s local content curriculum. Meanwhile, the character building of ethics
“Respect” in term of “Civility” is dominant in the primary school’s local content
syllabus of English language instruction. It is similarly with the English language
Textbook of Grade Five that dominantly by the character building of ethics
“Respect” in term of “Civility”. Then, the character building of ethics
“Responsibility”, “Caring” in term of “Environmental Care”, and “Citizenship” in
term of “Good Citizen” are dominantly presented in the assessments of primary
school’s English language instruction. Consistently, the Standard of Process and
the local content curriculum present character building of ethic in term of six core
ethical values.

Keywords: Character Building of Ethics, Academic Documents, Primary School,

English Language Instruction

In the year 1991, Thomas Lickona as known as the father of

character build the concept of character building as character education

which has its own limitation. Lickona defines character building as knowing

the good, doing the good, and feeling the good. His concept exists in

years although there are several developments from other researchers

support it.

The Education Ministry of Indonesia defines character education as

a sensible exertion to create students realize, respect, and adopt the

values and norms of the social life, in order to generate a better

personality (Basic Education Directorate, 2012). In other words character

education is a thoughtful and conscious approach to improve children

character through core (and/or local) ethical values, with the crucial goal of

the foundation of students’ integrity.

In line with the definition from the basic Education Directorate in

2012, the government had the goal of education which stipulated in UU

Sisdiknas No. 20 Article 3 year 2003. The education management

objectives are not only for the development of cognitive intelligence, but

also to give attention to the development of psychomotor and affective

intelligence.

Today's ethical values are shifting in various aspects of life,

especially in education. Many young people tend to ignore ethical values

in their daily lives. Hendrawan, Pratiwi and Komariah (2017) in their

research stated that KPAI (Indonesian Child Protection Commission),

currently records cases of bullying from 2011 to August 2014 amounting to

369 complaints from a total of 1,480 cases. Bullying called KPAI as a form

of violence in schools, defeating student brawls, educational

discrimination, or fraudulent charges. Therefore, the planting of ethical

values is very important starting early in the family, school, and

community.

School as educational institution is required to instill ethical values

in every activity. In primary school ethical value development has stated

 in Religion and Civic Education explicitly. In line with Lickona, The

ASPEN Declaration sponsored by the Josephson Institute of Ethics and

written in 1992 at a conference of educators, ethicists, and nonprofit

leaders in Wiebers (2001) and together with Gould (2018) in Cardea –

Training Organization Development and Research stated the Universal

Core Ethical Values namely Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility,

Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.

However, the implementation has not reached the goal of national

education yet. So the government revises the previous curriculum into the

2013 curriculum which focuses on the inculcation of character education

including ethical values in each subject either implicitly or explicitly.

Primary school is a basic educational institution where the

educational foundation or foundation of ethical values is embedded.

Hendrawan, Pratiwi, and Komariah (2017) discussed the concept of

cultivating student’s character values through literacy movement,

especially in elementary schools that is based on the views of critical

pedagogical. Nasuha (2017) discussed the integrating character building

into TEYL (Teaching English for Young Learner) in Indonesian context.

And Park (2009) emphasized the key to positive youth development. He

focused on building strength of character building. Benninga, Berkowitz,

Kwehn, and Smith in Journal of Research in Character Education (2003)

discussed in the relationship of character education implementation and

academic achievement in elementary school. And, Sulistyaningrum (2013)

discussed the character building in English senior high schools’ textbook.

Furthermore, this research enriches the literature of character building

discussion in term of ethics in academic documents especially in primary

school. It investigates the presentation and the consistency of character

building of ethics in primary schools’ academic documents in English

instruction. The investigation is based on the conceptual framework of

Lickona modified by Josephson Institute of ethics and Gould (2018).

METHOD

This research uses content analysis method. It was one of research

methods used to constitute valid conclusions from texts or other

meaningful materials to the context used (Krippendorf, 2004). There was a

scientific method in the content analysis study. This scientific method was

commonly attached with certain additional characteristic to make it as the

primary message (Neuendorf, 2002). According to Miles and Huberman

(1994), there were four stages in analyzing data; collecting data, data

reduction, data display and conclusion or verification.

The study used content analysis because the data were in the form

of word/phrase/sentence/illustration/text. It was used to determine the

presence of certain character building of ethics presented in primary

school’s academic documents of English language instruction. By

conducting scientific stages in this study, the writer attempted to make a

conclusion of the character building of ethics representation. Furthermore,

content analysis was used to facilitate the writer determining the

consistency of presentation character building of ethics among English

language instruction in primary schools’ educational government

regulations, local content curriculum, local content syllabus, textbook and

formative and summative assessments.

Sources of the data in this study were taken from primary school.

Five primary schools’ English language academic documents were taken

such as a primary school’s local content curriculum of English language

instruction and a primary school’s local content syllabus of English

language instruction, an English textbook, and the assessments that

consist of one mid test and one final test. The primary school is located in

Jakarta, especially Cengkareng Timur. Then, four of educational

government regulations such as Permendikbud of 2016 Number 20, 21,

22, and 23 were also analyzed in this study.

The data would be collected through document analysis. The

researcher selecting the item based on the researchable questions to be

investigated. Specifically, educational government regulation (within

Permendikbud No. 20,21,22,23,), local content curriculum, local content

syllabus, textbook, and formative and summative assessments of Primary

School. Then, specifying the content to be investigated. In this case, the

statements of illustration / sentence / clause / phrase / word contains in the

primary school’s academic documents were the content to be investigated.

Next, making codes as the media to refining the data based on the focus

of the research. Then, creating a list of data descriptions. In order to obtain

data based on the research focus. Lastly, understanding specific parts

related to the focus of the research intensively in order to find the data that

are valid according to the research questions.

Based on Miles and Huberman (1994) the major phases of data

analysis are data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and

verification. The first, data reduction refers to the process of selecting,

focusing, simplifying, abstracting, and transforming the data that appear in

written up field notes or transcriptions.

The second, data display goes a step beyond data reduction to

provide "an organized, compressed assembly of information that permits

conclusion drawing..." A display can be an extended piece of text or a

diagram, chart, or matrix that provides a new way of arranging and

thinking about the more textually embedded data. Data displays, whether

in word or diagrammatic form, allow the analyst to extrapolate from the

data enough to begin to discern systematic patterns and interrelationships.

At the display stage, additional, higher order categories or themes may

emerge from the data that go beyond those first discovered during the

initial process of data reduction.

The third element of qualitative analysis is conclusion drawing

which is involve stepping back to consider what the analyzed data mean

and to assess their implications for the questions at hand. Then, reducing
the data and looking for relationships will provide adequate information for

developing other instruments. Verification, integrally linked to conclusion

drawing, entails revisiting the data as many times as necessary to cross-

check or to verify these emergent conclusions.

RESULTS

Table 1 The Presentation and The Consistency of Character Building of

Ethics in Academic Documents
Academic Documents
Educational Asse
Core Ethical Curric Syllab Text
No Government ssm
Values ulum us book
Regulation ent
1 2 3 4
1. Trustworthiness √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
2. Respect - √ √ - √ √ √ √
3. Responsibility √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
4. Fairness - - √ √ √ - - -
5. Caring √ √ √ - √ - √ √
6. Citizenship √ √ √ - √ - √ √

Based on the table, character building of ethics Trustworthiness

and Responsibility were stipulated in all of educational government

regulations. In addition, the character building of ethics Respect was

stipulated in Standard of Content and Standard of Process. Meanwhile,

the character building of Fairness stipulated in Standard of Process and

Standard of Assessment. And, the character building of ethic Caring and

Citizenship were stipulated in Standard of Graduate Competence,

Standard of Content, and Standard of Process.

All character building or core ethical values by Josephson Institute

of Ethic and Cardea were stipulated in the local content curriculum of

English language instruction in primary school. The character building of

ethics stipulated in each chapter that consist of introduction, Goal, Vision,

Mission, School’s Goal, Structure and Component of the Curriculum.

Meanwhile, the character building of ethics Trustworthiness,

Respect, and Responsibility were addressed in local content syllabus of

English language instruction in Primary school. But, the character building

of ethic Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship were not addressed in the local

content syllabus.

Then, the character building of ethics Trustworthiness, Respect,

Responsibility, Caring, and Citizenship were presented in the textbook of

English language instruction in primary school. Meanwhile, the character

building of ethics Fairness was not presented in the textbook.

While in the character building of ethics Trustworthiness, Respect,

Responsibility, Caring, and Citizenship were presented in the

assessments of English language instruction in primary school.

Meanwhile, the character building of ethic Fairness was not presented in

the assessments.

Last but not least, the consistency clearly presented in the

character building of ethics Trustworthiness and Responsibility. These

core ethical values consistently presented in all academic documents

analyzed. It was especially stipulated in the Standard of Process –

educational government regulation, and in the primary school’s local

content syllabus in English language instruction.

 Based on the table, the character building of ethics Trustworthiness

and Responsibility were consistent stipulated in the academic documents.

In addition, the academic document that consistent stipulated character

building of ethics – six core ethical values were the Educational

Government Regulation – Standard of Process and the primary school’s

local content curriculum of English language instruction.

DISCUSSIONS

The Trustworthiness concerns a variety of behavioral qualities such

as honesty, integrity, reliability, and loyalty. Honesty is a fundamental of

ethical value. It is about the intention to convey the truth in order to avoid

mislead or deceive in communication. It consists of truthfulness, sincerity

or non-deception, frankness, honesty in conduct. Meanwhile, Integrity is

illustrated by the person who has no differences in making decision from

situation to situation and places to places in term of ethical. And,

Realibility means keeping the words or committed. And loyalty is about

promoting and protecting the interests of certain thing.

a. Government National Regulation

In the first chapter of four government national regulations, the

statement of phrase akhlak mulia and berakhlak mulia repeatedly

presented character building of ethics Trustworthiness implicitly in term

of Integrity. Integrity presented by the students in committing and

determining what they say with what they do in every chance.

Additionally the statement of word jujur presented the character

building of ethics Trustworthiness in term of Honesty explicitly. It meant

that students convey the truth as best as people know, avoid the

misleding or deceiving communication, prohibit stealing, cheating,

fraud, and trickery.

The statement of word bertanggung jawab represented the

character building of Responsibility explicitly. It meant that students

always be in charge of their choices and therefore of their lives. This

word repeated in chapter two.

Next, the statement of word peduli represents the character

building of Caring explicitly. It meant that students had responsibility

towards others. The others meant both socially and environmentally.

In government national regulation, Citizenship presented the

word interaktif and the phrase berpartisipasi aktif. The Citizenship

implicitly presented in term of Good Citizen. According to the good

citizen, students know how to behave in community ethically. It also

presented the statement of word kreativitas represented the character

building of Citizenship explicitly in term of Creative. It means that

students present the new thoughts, ideas, and or result from their

observations or experiments. It also meant students always curious of

any knowledge.
 b. Local Content Curriculum

The character building of Trustworthiness in term of Honesty

presented explicitly and implicitly in the Local Content Curriculum on

Program Pembiasaan. It presented the statement of clauses such as

Mengakui kebenaran orang lain, mengakui kesalahan diri sendiri,

berani berkata benar and jujur dalam pikiran, perkataan, dan

perbuatan. It means that students convey the truth as best as people

know, avoid the misleding or deceiving communication, prohibit

stealing, cheating, fraud, and trickery.

The Principal of Curriculum Development presented the word

menghargai. It meant that the curriculum was developed with character

building of ethics Respect. The core ethical value – Respect meant

honor the essential worth and dignity of all people, including oneself,

obligate to treat everyone with respect, regardless of who they are and

what they have done.

The Principal of Curriculum Development also presented the

statement of word bertanggung jawab. It represented the character

building of Responsibility explicitly. It means that students always be in

charge of their choices and therefore of their lives.

The principal of curriculum development presented the word

tidak diskriminatif. It meant that the curriculum was developed with

Equity principle. It is one of the cores of value ethics. It developed by

the Fairness without looking from the background in all aspects.

 In Tujuan Sekolah presented Memberikan layanan pendidikan

secara adil kepada masyarakat tanpa membedakan latar belakang

social. The goal of the school is being fair to all people. It represents

the character building of ethic Fairness explicitly. It emphasizes the

same right for everyone without making differences in every single

aspect.

The vision of the curriculum presented a statement of clause

lingkungan sekolah yang hijau, bersih dan sehat. The clause represent

the character building of ethics Caring – Environmental care implicitly.

Also on Program Pembiasaan presented Peduli terhadap lingkungan

yang ada disekitarnya. The word peduli represented the character

building of Caring and the whole clause represented the Caring

Environment explicitly. Schools’ members should be the one who care

about the green house. It also means that no one could damage the

environment both inside and outside classroom & surrounding.

The character building Citizenship in term of Creative explicitly

presented in term of word like belajar untuk membangun dan

menemukan jati diri melalui proses belajar yang aktif, kreatif, efektif,

dan menyenangkan. It meant as a good citizen we should think, feel,

and do the good things creatively and beneficial in that time and for the

future. The word kreatif also repeated in the Prinsip Pengembangan

Kurikulum, Tujuan Pendidikan Nasional, the Mission of the Curriculum,

and Program Pengembangan Diri.

 c. Local Content Syllabus

The character building of ethics Trustworthiness in term of

Reliability addressed in Basic Competence 4.2 and in the Basic

Competence 8.2 Menyalin & menulis kalimat sangat sederhana secara

tepat & berterima seperti: ucapan selamat, ucapan terima kasih, &

undangan. Students should rewrite the sentence committedly. They did

it based on the rules and commit to rewrite the real one (no

addition/reduction statement).

The character building of ethics Respect in term of Civility

addressed in the Basic Competence 1.2 Merespon instruksi sangat

sederhana secara verbal implicitly. It showed Civility since students

should be polite in speech or utterance in class and schools’ context.

The core ethical values – Civility also addressed in Basic Competence

2.4 Mengungkapkan kesantunan secara berterima yang melibatkan

ungkapan: Do you mind..dan Shall we... explicitly. Students presented

their politeness while expressing something. The use of Do you

mind...Shall we ...are emphasize here.

d. Textbook

Trustworthiness in textbook appeared on asking and showing

direction. The language (text) used by student when asking to other

presented trustworthiness. And, it presented also when the other giving

the trusted information based on her knowledge. It also presented

Trustworthiness in form of delivering message and appreciation to the

teacher. It described the student who presented Trustworthiness since

she might deliver the message from her parent completely.

The lessons mostly presented the character building of ethics

Respect in term of Civility. It meant that students perform

politeness/respect towards others. It was done by utterance and

behavior while introducing and responding someone. The character

building of ethics Respect in term of Civility implicitly while students

were asking and responding politely to others who need information /

confirmation. It also presented in the form of Asking Permission like

May I borrow these books, please?.

The character building of ethics Responsibility presented

implicitly in the form of Introducing self and Showing and describe

location. It presented in the form of Accountability while the student was

giving the real information and accounted also trusted from herself and

her environment (situation). The character building of ethic Diligence

presented in the form of Describing routines. It described that student

prepared to do the activities. She managed the time well and prepared

everything.

The character building of Caring presented explicitly in the chant.

It is stated that the word Care meant that student should know how to

aware of others by the chant. And it was also implicitly presented the

character building of Social Care. The chant told about the need of
someone else, the existence of others, and the relationship towards

others (social).

While the character building of ethics Citizenship presented in

the clause make a line. It presented in term of Good Citizen explicitly. It

showed the obligation in following the rules in the class / school.

Students were doing the good thing by responding the instruction. Also,

the presence of knowing what ought to do in community.

e. Assessments

The character building of ethic Trustworthiness in term of

Reliability presented in the assessment such as student should write

the date based on the fact (picture). The answer should be reliable.

Reliable in this context also means that the date was arranged based

on the rules. While the character building of ethic Respect in term of

Civility. The utterance Asking & Response for help such as the use of

expression Can you hold these books, please…, I can. expressed

Civility since student should ask/respond help politely. This was the

exercise to lead student to behave morally since civility was how we

treat people civilly.

Next, the character building of ethic Responsibility in term of

Diligence presented in the final test in the form of text or paragraph. In

that text, the daily routine presented the Diligence according to the

primary students. In this context responsible people are they are who
prepared. Then, the character building of ethics Caring presented in the

discussion of Helping each other. Caring was one of the core ethical

values. It performed kindness and concerned to others. Lastly, the

character building of ethic Civilization in term of Conserving Resources

presented in the first number of Mid Test. The text represented the

implicit core ethical values that student should utilize the public facility

(post office) ethically. Student could take advantage properly as a good

citizen.

f. Consistency

The character building of ethics Trustworthiness stipulated in all of

four educational government regulations. It consistent stipulated in the

Standard of Graduate Competence, Standard of Content, Standard of

Process and Standard of Assessment. Trustworthiness also

addressed in the local content curriculum and syllabus. It also

presented in the primary school’s textbook and assessment of English

language instruction.

However, the character building of ethics Respect stipulated

consistently in two of four educational government regulations. It

stipulated in Standard of Content and Standard of Process. Respect

also addressed in the local content curriculum, and in syllabus. It also

presented in the primary schools’ textbook, and assessment of English

language instruction.
 As similar as Trustworthiness, the character building of

Responsibility consistently stipulated in the educational government

regulations and local content curriculum. It also addressed in the local

content syllabus and presented in the textbook and assessments. It

presented in all academic documents.

The character building of ethics Fairness stipulated in three of four

educational government regulations. It stipulated in the Standard of

Graduate Competence, Standard of Process, and Standard of

Assessment. Fairness also addressed in the local content curriculum.

It was not stipulated in Standard of Content. It also was not presented

in the primary school’s local content syllabus, textbook and

assessment of English language instruction.

The character building of Caring stipulated consistently in three of

four educational government regulations. It stipulated in the Standard

of Graduate Competence, Standard of Content, and Standard of

Process. It was not stipulated in the Standard of Assessment. Caring

also stipulated in the local content curriculum. It also presented in the

textbook and assessments but was not addressed in the local content

syllabus.

The consistency of character building of ethics Caring was similar

with the presence of character building of ethics Citizenship in the

academic documents. Citizenship stipulated in the Standard of

Graduate Competence, Standard of Content, and Standard of

 Process. It was not stipulated in the Standard of Assessment.

Citizenship also stipulated in the local content curriculum but was not

addressed in the local content syllabus. It also presented in the

textbook and assessments.

In short, the character building of ethics was completely

consistence in term of core ethical values Trustworthiness and

Responsibility. In detail, the character building of ethics in educational

government regulation that had six core ethical values was the

Standard of Process. Last but not least, the local content curriculum

was the only academic documents that had consistence presentation

of character building of ethics in this study.

CONCLUSSIONS

The character building of ethics in term of six core ethical values

were found in the academic documents. The government has arranged

the educational regulations clearly to be followed by the educational

stakeholders. Those regulations are stipulated by the character building of

ethics in each part. The character building of ethics in term of six core

ethical values are continuously presented in the curriculum, syllabus,

textbook, and assessments. It emphasized that the educational

stakeholders have obeyed the regulations.

The stipulation character building of ethics in the first academic

document namely educational government regulations were dominated by

the character building of ethics Trustworthiness in term of Integrity (E1b).

Six core ethical values stipulated completely in the Standard of Process of

Permendikbud No 22 (2016).

In addition, the character building of ethics in term of six ethical

values stipulated completely in the primary school’s local content

curriculum of English language Instruction. It is also dominated by the

character building of ethics Trustworthiness in term of Integrity (E1b).

Furthermore, the character building of ethics Respect in term of

Civility (E2a) is dominantly addressed in the primary school’s local content

syllabus of English language Instruction. Similarly, the character building

of ethics Respect in term of Civility (E2a) is also dominantly presented in

the primary school’s textbook of English language instruction (Grade Five).

Then, the character building of ethics Responsibility (E3), Caring in

term of Environmental Care (E5a), and Citizenship in term of Good Citizen

(E6a) are dominantly presented in the assessments of primary school’s

English language instruction.

Lastly, the consistency of character building of ethics is presented

by the core ethical values Trustworthiness and Responsibility that

presented in all academic documents. Additionally, the academic

document that consistently presented six core ethical values is the local

content curriculum of primary school’s English language instruction.

SUGGESTIONS

Since the academic documents in this study limited in the

educational government regulations such as Standard of Graduate

Competence / Permendikbud No 20 (2016), Standard of Content /

Permendikbud No 21 (2016), Standard of Process / Permendikbud No 22

(2016), and Standard of Assessments / Permendikbud No 23 (2016), the

further study would be able to discuss others educational government

regulations namely UU SISDIKNAS / Act of National Education System

year 2013 and or Standard Competence and Base Competence /

Permendikbud No 24 (2016).

Furthermore, further study might be analyzed other documents

namely lesson plan or RPP. Then, other curriculum also might be

analyzed like K13 or Curriculum 2013. The syllabus and textbook also

might be broader like adding the analysis from grade four to six. For the

next study, the comparison of academic documents among one school to

another school in different country also might be suggested.

Then, according to the result from the academic documents, the

implementation of the character building of ethics might be investigate by

the praxis research of character building of ethics by analyzing the

schools’ members habit or behavior that indicate the character building of

ethics. The data might be in term of habitual action, symbols, activities

portfolio, and extra/intra curricular.

 In short, this study is intended to enrich the literature in term of

character building of ethics in the academic documents. It is also

suggested for the teachers and researchers in the similar field.