INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 9, ISSUE 03, MARCH 2020 ISSN 2277-8616 121 IJSTR©2020 www.ijstr.org Implementation Of Character Education By Establishing A Special Task Force In Muhammadiyah Karangkajen Elementary School Eko Prasetiyo, Suyatno, Aliyah Rasyid Baswedan Abstract— This study aims to reveal the implementation of the Character Education Reinforcement Program by establishing a PPK (Character Education Reinforcement) special task force at Muhammadiyah Karangkajen Elementary School Yogyakarta. This research was a qualitative descriptive research. The research subjects consisted of the principal, assistant teacher for the task force, classroom teachers, task force training team, and students. Research subjects were determined by purposive sampling technique. The data was collected through observation, interviews, and documentation studies. The data analysis process wasbydata reduction, data presentation, and data verification. The data validity was done by triangulation technique, both technical and sources triangulation. The results of the research showed that 1. The Implementation of the PPK program with the special task force has a clear target goal of character values to be achieved in each grade. 2) The program implementation was carried out by forming five task forces consisting of: the Bima-Sinta task force to develop the value of religious; PKS-PocilSercibatask force to develop the value of nationalism; the HW Kopatih task force to develop independence value; the SPK task force to develop the value of mutual cooperation; and the Dokcil- Provostask force to develop integrity value. 3) The implementation of PPK with the special task force has been able to create a conducive climate in the development of five core PPK values consisting of the values of religious, nationalism, independence, mutual cooperation, and integrity. 4) The implementation of the PPK program is able to effectively create positive branded school. Index Terms—Implementation of Character Education Reinforcement Program, Special Task Force, Muhammadiyah Elementary School. ———————————————————— 1. INTRODUCTION All this time, PPK (PenguatanPendidikanKarakter/ Character Education Reinforcement) is still focused on the teacher (teacher center) so by focusing on students (student center), it is expected that the PPK values can be implemented properly. Research showed that character education carried out by various schools has been done by inserting PPK into the curriculum(1), by giving examples, motivation, rewards and punishments measured by the teacher(2), by inserting it in the school’sextracurricular activities (3), by practicing it in lessons in class (4), by building teacher sensitivity in class while teaching (5), by hidden curriculum such as beliefs, values, and attitudes during ceremonies and the quality of interpersonal communication by teachers (6). In addition, character education is also carried out by preparing teachers who have the ability to integrate values and organize character values well that have been taught, exemplified, and practiced in the school environment and transformed at the next school level (7), hospitality and informal networking teacher (8), building caring environment like a family in the school (9). The several ways that have been done are expected to result in the good implementation of character education in schools so that they can achieve the goals set by the government. Other research also showed that the implementation of PPK supported by textbooks as the basis for character education in elementary schools has shown 80.24%students mostly better understand the textual and contextual material (10), with child- friendly physical development the environment will provide a sense of security and comfort to the point of 18.2% (11), by understanding the values of nationalism which contain good manners, morality, in the frame of local wisdom (12), PPK with persistence, consistency, collaboration and Athletic Director (Ads ) taught in sports activities (13). The results of the research described above showed that so far the implementation of PPK in schools has not been focused on students involvement, even though students are the main subject in education. It is students who experience the process, seek, and finally founding things in the educational process. The impact of top-down PPK and not paying attention to student involvement, then character education cannot be grounded, and cannot inspire the students. Moreover, the guideline curriculum is still static, it has not adapted to the existing situation and conditions (14). In addition, pilot schools that implement PPK are also still very minimal. This is known from the data of the LPMP (Educational Quality Assurance Agency) in 2016 stated that in Indonesia there were only 88 model schools, even though the number of schools throughout Indonesia from elementary school to high school is fourteen thousand (15). This research was conducted at Muhammadiyah Karangkajen Elementary School which organized the implementation of character education with a focus on students’byforming a special task force carried out by the students themselves. The findings of this research are expected to be a valuable reference for the model development of the character education implementation in Indonesia. 2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS In detail, the research questions are: 1) what are the target goals of character values from each grade at the school? 2) How is the implementation of the PPK program with the special task force carried out at the school? 3) What are the impacts of the implementation of PPK with the task force specifically on the school’s climate? 4) How is the ————————————————  Eko Prasetiyo is currently pursuing master degree program in Management of Education in Ahmad Dahlan University, Country of Indonesia, PH-08995527557 E-mail: ramandaeko972@gmail.com  Suyatno is lecturer Management of Education in Ahmad Dahlan University, Country of Indonesia, PH-085292453242 E-mail: suyatno@pgsd.uad.ac.id  Aliyah Rasyid Baswedan is lecturer Management of Education in Ahmad Dahlan University, Country of Indonesia, PH-0817462452 E-mail: Aliyahrasyid@gmail.com