Pedagogical and Contextual Factors Associated with Teachers’ Implementation of Digital Character Education in Bandung Elementary Schools

Abstract

This study examined the pedagogical and contextual factors associated with teachers’ reported implementation of digital character education in Bandung elementary schools. Primary data were collected through a Google Forms questionnaire distributed with the assistance of participating schools. Participation was voluntary. Of the 360 teacher responses collected, 359 met the criteria for statistical analysis. Five predictors, namely digital pedagogical competence, character education self-efficacy, principal support, collaboration between schools and families, and digital resource adequacy, were examined using descriptive statistics, internal consistency assessments, and multiple linear regression with HC3 robust standard errors. The results revealed positive associations between all five predictors and teachers’ reported implementation of digital character education. Digital pedagogical competence and character education self efficacy demonstrated the strongest standardized associations. The regression model explained 44.6% of the variation in reported implementation, indicating the relevance of both teachers’ professional capabilities and their educational environments. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating character education into digital instructional practices rather than focusing exclusively on technology use. However, the cross-sectional design, voluntary recruitment, reliance on teachers’ self-reports, limited construct validation evidence, and inability to account for potential dependence among teachers from the same schools constrain the interpretation of the results. The findings therefore represent statistical associations rather than evidence of causal effects or improvements in students’ character development.