Introduction

Character education is an integral part of education that aims to shape students' excellent and ethical character. In education, students' nature or morality can be considered an essential foundation for personal and social development. Good feelings can help students make the right decisions, take responsibility for their actions, and interact positively with others(Surya, 2017). In the current era of globalization and technological advancement, character education is increasingly important because students often face challenges that demand high integrity and honesty. In this case, character education can help students develop the moral and ethical abilities to meet these challenges(Panggabean, 2022). In addition, character education also allows students to understand universal human values and appreciate the differences that exist among them. Through character education, students are encouraged to reflect on and understand the meaning of values such as honesty, cooperation, concern for others, discipline, respect for diversity, and many more. This helps them develop sensitivity to the needs of others and encourages them to participate in activities that benefit society(Lubis & Karnati, 2022).

Based on the research results(Suri, 2021), many parents and educators still need to understand appropriate and effective character education for early childhood, especially in the Yogyakarta area. This results in the need for proper and effective character education programs. In education, character development is essential to forming a generation with positive values and strong ethics. However, there needs to be more understanding of best practices and practical implementation strategies in classroom and activity-based character education programs. This creates a need to identify this issue more clearly, analyze existing research gaps, and explore novel aspects that can be explored(Ardin & Syafril, 2021). This problem can be caused by various factors, such as a lack of attention to character education in schools, a lack of opportunities to practice these values in daily life, and a lack of parental involvement in educating their children's character. Character development in education is crucial in shaping a generation with integrity, enthusiasm for learning, and readiness to face life's challenges(Amini & Wiyani, 2022). Character development is not only about conceptual understanding but also involves actual practice in daily life. If students do not have the opportunity to apply the values in their everyday social interactions, conflicts, and decisions, then the values may be challenging to instill deeply(Alfianti, 2021).

Character education helps students academically grow as responsible individuals who care about others and their environment(Bahri, 2015). A holistic and comprehensive approach to character education can help create a better, more ethical generation that can contribute positively to a better society(Brannon, 2013). Character education focuses on students' cognitive and intellectual development and emotional, social, and spiritual aspects. In a holistic approach, character education should include developing all aspects of students' personalities, such as social skills, emotional skills, leadership, ethics, morals, and spirituality(Agung, 2018). In this way, students at school and at home develop academically and holistically as individuals with strong character and high ethics. A comprehensive approach to character education is critical because students' feelings are formed at school, at home, and community(Winterbottom & Schmidt, 2022). Therefore, character education should include partnerships between schools, families, and communities to shape positive character in students(Devries, 2012). In this case, parents and the districts are also essential in supporting and shaping students' positive surfaces.

Classroom and activity-based character education for early childhood is an approach that emphasizes character building through the learning environment in the classroom and activities carried out by children. This program is expected to help students develop positive character values through fun and meaningful learning experiences(Singh, 2019). Best practices in the classroom and activity-based character education programs include (1) careful planning of character education programs by considering the character values to be achieved and appropriate learning strategies; (2) the use of diverse learning strategies such as discussions, simulations, role plays, and project activities to facilitate students in understanding and internalizing the desired character values; and (3) active participation of students in activities relevant to character values such as social activities, volunteer activities, and environment-based activities to help students apply character values in daily life(Paul et al., 2022).

Although several studies have explored the concept of Character Education, there still needs to be more literature regarding identifying best practices that suit different age groups and learning environments. Meanwhile, previous research tends to focus more on theory than practical implementation in the classroom. In conclusion, there is a need for more research that focuses on concrete strategies to integrate character education into daily activities in schools. In an ever-evolving era, the potential utilization of technology, integration across subjects, and active engagement of students in character-building are promising areas of novelty. In addition, research that considers the role of local culture in Character Education Programs can provide new insights into shaping authentic and relevant character to students. The study has a more solid and clear foundation by more sharply detailing the research's problem statement, gap analysis, and novelty aspects. This will help guide the research process more effectively and contribute meaningfully to developing classroom and activity-based Character Education.

Implementing this program requires careful planning, diverse learning strategies, active student participation, and ongoing teacher support. This study explores the best practices and implementation strategies of classroom and activity-based character education programs. Students' active involvement