Teacher Empathy and Implementation of Multicultural Practices in the Classroom

Abstract

Teaching a culturally diverse classroom can be challenging for educators. Understanding the needs of the students is essential in delivering effective educational practices. However, how can this be achieved when there is little knowledge about the cultural background of the students and their daily lives? Research has highlighted the positive impact of teacher empathy on students’ academic, social and emotional development. At the same time, studies report that induced empathy can generate positive attitudes between culturally diverse individuals. Nevertheless, little research has focused on the connection between teacher empathy and multicultural practices in the classroom. The current study investigates the role of teacher empathy in the implementation of multicultural practices, for Greek primary teachers. The mechanism between empathy, multicultural beliefs and practices is explored controlling for various demographic variables. 62 Greek primary school, preschool and kindergarten teachers participated in this cross-sectional study using self-report questionnaires. Qualitative data from interviews with some of the teachers elaborated further on the relationship between these variables. Findings showed that empathy is positively associated with multicultural practices. Additionally, multicultural beliefs partially mediate the relation between empathy and the implementation of multicultural practices. The results suggest that teacher empathy could be beneficial for responding effectively to the needs of culturally diverse students.