Teacher Empathy and Its Relationship to the Standardized Test Scores of Diverse Secondary English Students.

The purpose of this research study was to ascertain whether there is a relationship between teachers’ cognitive role taking aspect of empathy and the Virginia Standards of Learning (VSOL), English/Reading scores of their students. A correlational research design using hierarchical multiple regression was used to look for this relationship. In order to control for variables previous research has shown to contribute to student achievement, a teacher’s years of experience, degree level, self-efficacy beliefs about managing classroom behavior and a teacher’s expectations for her students were measured and placed into the regression equation. The study attempted to see if the relationship was stronger based on the ethnicity and course level of the students. The results indicate that the null hypothesis cannot be rejected. However, the results also indicated that the other teacher variables for which this study controlled were also not contributing to the variance in the test scores. These findings led to the conclusion that standardized tests, by their very nature, may possibly not be susceptible to teacher attributes or dispositions. Further, it was concluded that teachers may need to acknowledge that the VSOL, English/Reading tests may be measuring a very small part of student achievement which, in many cases, can be considered learning to pass the tests. Currently, research has become more complex as researchers try to identify the specific personal characteristics and teacher dispositions that help teachers facilitate successful learning in their classrooms. Rice (2003), in her meta-analysis of research on what teacher attributes make teachers effective, found significant gaps in knowledge about which teacher characteristics help to make them most effective, especially at the secondary level. However, one characteristic that proves beneficial to student learning is teachers’ empathy. For the purposes of this study empathy is operationalized as understanding a student’s perspective. It is assumed that when teachers understand their students, they will care about them, their cognitive and affective growth and well being. Additionally, it is assumed that this understanding will make teachers more effective in terms of helping students achieve academically as measured by standardized tests. Further, for students who have a history of academic failure, teacher empathy and caring is even more important in terms of motivating them and connecting them to academic opportunities. The purpose of the study was to measure teachers’ empathy and to assess it contributions to student performance on the English reading scores on the Virginia Standards of Learning test (VSOL) for eighth and eleventh grade students. The study examined the effects of teacher empathy on academic performance for different student groups. The study also examined Journal of Research in Education Volume 24, Number 1 Spring and Summer 2014 4 classroom management skills because it was suspected that they might interact with teachers’ expectations for their students and empathy for them. Significance of the research Sociological research has found that the greater the social difference between teachers and their students, the lower the teacher’s expectations will be for those students, and they will be less supportive and positive in their interactions with students they perceive to be of lower social status than themselves (Metz, 1990). Recent research has begun to examine how empathy makes teachers more effective working with diverse student populations (Darling-Hammond, 2000; McAllister and Irvine, 2002). Studies by Noblit, Roger and McCadden (1995) and Noddings (1995) indicate that many students must believe that their teachers care about them and understand them in order for them to be motivated to learn. Teacher empathy is thought to affect students indirectly by altering the learning environment. Empathetic teachers promote a caring climate in the classroom that makes students feel more connected to the school. Also, teachers who understand their students are more likely to be motivated to make lessons relevant to their students, and this then increases students’ interest and engagement in learning. In recent decades, the student population in U.S. schools has increased in diversity. In 2000, 65 percent of the K-12 student population was non-Hispanic white and 35 percent were Hispanic, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American (Fowler, 2004). While the diversity of the student population has been increasing, the diversity of the teaching staff of elementary and secondary schools has been decreasing. Twelve percent of the graduates of teacher preparation (education) programs in 1977 were African American and by 1993 the proportion had decreased to 10 percent (Ohio State Office of Educational Oversight, 1997). In 2000, 86 percent of all elementary and secondary teachers were white (Gay and Howard, 2000). Given the increasing social and cultural disparity between teachers and students, the need to understand how teacher empathy affects instructional practices and the learning environment is critical. If white middleclass teachers, which comprise the majority of the teaching population, are less empathetic toward ethnic minority students (due to social and cultural factors), then these students will be disadvantaged by exposure to a learning environment that is less supportive of them than that experienced by their white peers. Additional research on teacher empathy is needed to prevent social/cultural disparities between teachers and students from resulting in disparities in instructional support and learning opportunities. Review of Literature Considerable educational research has examined how different teacher characteristics affect learning, including teacher empathy. The most current research is reviewed in this section. A discussion of how empathy is defined and how specific constructs of empathy can be measured also is included. Teacher Characteristics and the Learning Environment Journal of Research in Education Volume 24, Number 1 Spring and Summer 2014 5 Prior research indicates that teachers who have mastered their subject matter understand their subject matter and have sound pedagogical training are more successful in helping their students learn. Darling-Hammond (2000) found that teachers who have a thorough understanding of learning theories, teaching methods and curriculum knowledge are more effective in promoting student learning in diverse classrooms, that is “teaching from the perspective of learners who bring diverse experiences and frames of reference to the classroom” (p. 166). There is more to effective teaching, however, than just understanding course content and how to present it. Teachers need to be able to create learning environments that are conducive to learning. How teachers express caring and concern for their students is not important. What is important is that they let their students know they care (Patterson & Purkey, 1993). Pierce (1994) found that teachers who showed respect, caring and closeness to students at risk lessened the chance that they would fail. By interacting with students in a caring and respectful manner, teachers can motivate students to care about academic success and foster the belief that they can be successful in school. Teachers who enter the profession because they have a desire to make a difference in the lives of their students and want them to succeed academically have better student outcomes (in terms of grades and standardized test scores) than teachers who are motivated by other factors (Gordon, 1999; Kuklinski & Weinstein, 2001). Empathy and Student Learning The effect of teacher empathy on learning has been established; teachers who students perceive as empathetic have higher learning outcomes (McAllister & Irvine, 2002). When students feel that their teachers are trying to understand them as individuals and are concerned about them and their life, they work harder and achieve more academically (Coffman, 1981). McAllister and Irvine (2002) found when teachers show tolerance and acceptance of their students, they create a better learning environment. This finding is supported by research that resulted in the Wingspread Declaration, which promotes caring environments in schools (Viadero, 2004). This prior research indicates that a caring school environment not only affects academic performance but also reduces anti-social behavior (Viadero, 2004). Apparently, students learn to treat others in the manner they have been treated. Teaching can be viewed as a series of social interactions between students and teachers. Because the teacher is the authority figure in the room, the teacher, whether consciously or unconsciously, teaches by example. It is imperative, therefore, that the teacher model for students appropriate ways of interacting with other people. By illustrating empathy, the teacher establishes a positive climate of social interactions in the classroom that are conducive to learning while at the same time modeling positive social interactions for students that reduce anti-social behaviors that disrupt the learning environment (Sandven, 1979). Empathy, then, has an impact on learning both cognitively and affectively. By modeling how to work effectively with different types of people, teachers help students acquire the ability to understand others’ perspectives when the situation requires it and promote cross-cultural understanding. Students are better able to establish a connection with caring teachers, and to internalize their teachers’ values. This then may motivate students to produce better work for their teachers.