RAISING AWARENESS OF EMPATHY AND ITS ROLE IN TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS

This study navigates through the theory of emotional intelligence, which is premised on self-regulation, emotion regulation, and drilling down to the core skills of empathy. These constructs significantly impact teacher-student relationships, which, in turn, influences academics, socio-emotional learning, behavior and the educational trajectory . This mixed methods study examined the importance of teacher awareness of the subconstructs of empathy and how this influences their relationships with students. Investigating the impact of the subconstructs of empathy as outlined by Decety and Jackson (2016) and their correlation to the subconstructs of teacher-student relationships (Pianta, 1992), the study demonstrated important findings for cultivating positive teacher-student relationships. The study revealed that there is a correlational relationship between the subconstructs of teacher-student relationships–closeness and conflict–and empathy and its subconstructs. The qualitative information revealed that an awareness of empathy encourages teachers to engage students with kindness and respect; therefore, strengthening their relationships. These correlational findings add to the literature for pre-service and in-service teachers and target specific skills to enhance professional development and education.