Building Student Responsibility Through Classroom Cleanliness Routines

Abstract

This study frames classroom cleanliness not as a minor technical issue but as an educational site for building student responsibility through routine-based classroom management in primary school. It examines how classroom cleanliness can be improved when Grade 6 students display low awareness and self-discipline, and how teachers respond through routines, guidance, and classroom management strategies. The study used a qualitative case study design in one Grade 6 classroom at Cendekia Harapan Primary School, Bali. The auditable data archive consisted of three structured observation sessions focused on the end-of-day cleaning routine, each lasting approximately ten minutes, supported by descriptive field notes. Thematic analysis generated four themes: low student awareness of cleanliness, dependence on teacher supervision, limited effectiveness of teacher strategies due to inconsistent reinforcement, and weak habit formation and student ownership. The findings indicate that the central problem was not a lack of tools or time, but the absence of durable collective responsibility. The study contributes by showing that classroom cleanliness routines can serve as a practical mechanism for responsibility formation when they are enacted consistently, participatively, and in ways that support student ownership rather than short-term compliance.