Weaving Character Through Mathematics: A Systematic Review of Character Education in Mathematics Education
Keywords:
character education, mathematics learning, systematic literature review, prisma 2020, etnomatematikaAbstract
Character education has become a fundamental pillar of twenty-first-century education, as it plays a crucial role in developing students who are not only academically competent but also possess moral integrity, responsibility, and strong social skills. Mathematics, as a discipline that emphasizes logical reasoning, systematic thinking, and problem-solving, offers considerable potential as a medium for fostering students' character development. However, research on the integration of character education into mathematics instruction remains fragmented, with no comprehensive synthesis of instructional models, character values promoted, implementation challenges, and future research directions. Therefore, this study aims to synthesize the existing evidence on the integration of character education in mathematics education through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Data were collected from Google Scholar, covering publications from 2015 to 2026, using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of six studies met all eligibility criteria and were analyzed thematically. The findings indicate that the integration of character education is most frequently implemented through Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Project-Based Learning (PjBL), Generative Learning, and Blended Learning. The most commonly developed character values include responsibility, discipline, honesty, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Furthermore, contextual approaches such as ethnomathematics have been shown to strengthen students' social, cultural, and religious character. Nevertheless, the implementation of character education continues to face several challenges, including limited teacher competence, the lack of standardized instruments for assessing character development, and insufficient institutional policy support. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current research on the integration of character education in mathematics education and offers valuable implications for curriculum development, instructional practices, and future research.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Raja Faiq Ramadhan, Muhammad Zidan Nasirudin, Siti Adhyta Vyrkanissa Azzahra, Saskia Nur Faizah (Author); Anggie Yudistira Aditya (Translator)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
