Fostering Student Discipline Character during Emergency Remote Learning: An Empirical Model from Indonesian Secondary Education

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to develop and examine an empirical model of student discipline character formation during Emergency Remote Learning (ERL) in secondary education. Specifically, it investigates how instructional strategies, teacher supervision, student self-regulation, and learning environment interact to shape discipline-related behaviors under crisis-driven remote learning conditions. Methods: The study employed a quantitative research design using survey data collected from secondary school students and teachers who experienced ERL. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and structural modeling to identify key dimensions and relational patterns influencing discipline character development. Instrument validity and reliability were established prior to analysis to ensure methodological rigor. The proposed model was constructed based on empirical relationships derived from the data. Findings: The findings indicate that discipline character during ERL is not determined by a single factor but emerges from the interaction between instructional clarity, consistency of teacher monitoring, students’ self-discipline, and adaptive learning routines. Teacher feedback and structured learning schedules were found to significantly reinforce students’ punctuality, task completion, and responsibility. Conversely, limited supervision and unstructured learning environments weakened discipline outcomes. The empirical model demonstrates that self-regulation acts as a mediating factor linking instructional practices and discipline character formation. Significance: This study contributes to applied educational research by offering an empirically grounded model of discipline character formation in emergency learning contexts. The findings provide practical implications for educators and policymakers in designing remote learning strategies that support character development alongside academic outcomes. Moreover, the model extends contemporary discussions on character education by situating discipline within adaptive, crisis-responsive instructional systems.