Christian Religious Education Learning Management in Strengthening Students Religious Character: Case Study at National Junior High School 12 Batam

Improving student character is a central issue in post-pandemic education in Indonesia, particularly with the discovery of a decline in student discipline, motivation, and religiosity at SMP Negeri 12 Batam. This study aims to analyze the effect of optimizing educational management through Christian Religious Education (PAK) learning on the formation of intelligent and religious character in ninth-grade students. The research design used a quantitative descriptive-correlational method involving 63 respondents selected purposively. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability, then analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression techniques using SPSS 20. The results showed that PAK learning management had a significant effect on the formation of intelligent character (p < 0.05), but did not significantly influence students' religious character. The PAK learning variable contributed 32.2% to the formation of intelligent and religious character. These findings emphasize the need to strengthen educational management through teacher training and school-parent collaboration as a comprehensive effort to build student character. The implications of this research can serve as a reference for improving the quality of character education management at the secondary school level.