Integrating religious moderation values into project-based learning to strengthen collaborative character in Pancasila and civic education among fourth-grade elementary students in Aceh Tengah

Developing teamwork habits among young learners remains an ongoing difficulty in Civic and Pancasila Education, largely owing to traditional instructional modes that favour passive information transfer over active group engagement. To resolve this challenge, a Classroom Action Research design evaluated how integrating religious moderation principles into Project-Based Learning (PjBL) influences collaborative behaviors. Conducted with a cohort of 34 fourth-grade pupils at MIN 9 Aceh Tengah, the study progressed through two full iterations consisting of planning, action, observation, and reflection. Data obtained from observations, interviews, field notes, and document logs were analyzed via integrated qualitative and quantitative descriptive techniques. Results indicate that incorporating four core components of religious moderation, national commitment, tolerance, non-violence, and cultural accommodation into PjBL tasks continuously elevated student collaboration, successfully achieving all benchmarks by Cycle II, with national commitment achieving the highest gains. The primary contribution of this research stems from instilling these values within each step of the PjBL sequence as an active character-shaping tool instead of presenting them as static course material. Ultimately, these outcomes offer a novel educational model for Civic Education that strengthens student disposition while advancing the Pancasila Student Profile initiative in elementary schools.