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Welcome to KinSite's Research on Empathy
Here at KinSite we are constantly striving to better our efforts and our delivery of what matters and has long lasting impact. Our recent research focuses on empathy in the education field, more specifically, to discern teachers' understanding and practice of empathy.
About the Investigation
Abstract
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand what the nature of empathy for secondary teachers at Samanthians Day School is. Samanthian Day School in a private progressive school in the east coast of the United States. The research sought to understand how teachers have come to understand their practice and day-to-day experiences with empathy. Through interviews we found three categories of understanding: Attainment, Attributes, and Teacher Environment. Each category moved through subsequent sub-categories which are explained below. The methodology of the study allowed for the centering of these subjects’ lived experiences and of their contextual understanding of the phenomenon that is empathy. Our findings point to a combination of an understanding and practice of a cognitive awareness of empathy that may follow or precede an affective practice of the phenomenon, both of which are highly motivated by experiences and the philosophy that underpins the school’s empathy objectives. We feel that such unearthing should be a key consideration when undertaking empathy understanding for teachers. The implications of the study mean that teachers’ practice and considerations of empathy can assist not only their personal teaching objectives but also one’s interpersonal learning awareness.
The Concern
There is increasing social and political polarization in the world right now and also an intensified backlash against initiatives that speak about fairness, and equality, as well as to expansions and accessibility to diversity and equity programing (1). These are subjects that promote perspective taking a key component of empathy understanding (2). We have seen increases of social disparities that impact BIPOC communities with hate crimes also on the rise (3), it seems we are turning into a culture that would rather be at the extremes, either combative in nature, or simply cancelling what we find unappealing (4).
We entrust our learning institutions to produce just and empathetic individuals that create and contribute to equitable societies. The role they play is increasingly more complex and demanding (5). Teacher attrition continues to be a concern for school leaders and policymakers in many countries, with teachers leaving before even reaching their full abilities in the field (6). If we add to this the inherent diversity increase in many nations with the foreseeable population changes, and the culture-based changes that come with them, we can surmise the effect that public and private schools will have (7). This means teachers will need to be more empathetic and conscientious in their educating frameworks (8).
Three Teacher-Identified Pillars of Empathy
Attainment
The process of achieving empathy understanding, or the structuring of a working framework with which empathy is understood by our subjects, is one that converges four elements: realizations, experiences, recognition, and relationships.
Study Findings
Attributes
The construct of empathy for our subjects moved through attributions they assign to the phenomenon. Here, like in Attainment, there are elements of experience and interaction, and recognition, but there is also those of understanding and process.
Teacher Environment
​The results show that for our subjects the combination practice of cognitive empathy and emotional empathy is important but also influenced by one’s teaching environments (the school), and the objectives it holds.
Practical Implications
An Important Complexity
This study’s findings point to teachers’ empathy understanding as a key consideration in creating positive, interpersonal learning environments. It speaks to how teachers practice this phenomenon and how it assists not only their objectives, which can be both professional and personal, but also those of the school. The complexity with which they describe their understanding means the approach to building stronger empathy awareness in teachers lies in multiple areas, and that the school environment is only one. Teachers’ histories of experiences is possibly a stronger player in such activities because the findings show that experiences act as points of reflection. When teachers recognize such experiences in their histories and link them with moments of empathetic needs, the outcome seems to a much more positive one.
Space for Reflection
For many of our subjects they were made aware of such levels of school engagement through their ruminations of their empathy awareness, engagements that move through the cognitive and emotional practice. The study shows that for our participants finding situations where one can reflect on such actions can raise one’s awareness of their empathy practice and understanding. This implies a strong need to incorporate such discourses and spaces of reflection in professional development objectives that often accompany teachers’ careers. ​