The purpose of the study was to develop and apply empathy education program for elementary school lower graders and to investigate effects of empathy ability. And, the study examined not only theories of the empathy education but also characteristics ...
The purpose of the study was to develop and apply empathy education program for elementary school lower graders and to investigate effects of empathy ability. And, the study examined not only theories of the empathy education but also characteristics of elementary school lower graders to adopt research subjects:
1) How did they develop empathy education program?
2) How was empathy education program applied to develop empathy?
3) Was empathy education program effective to develop students' empathy?
The subject was students at two classes at their 2nd year of 'A' Elementary School at Seoul. Students at one class were experimental group, while the ones at the other class were control group. The experimental group was given empathy education program, while the control group was not given the program. After the program, post-test was done.
The test tools at both pre-test and post-test conducted test of not only cognitive factors but also emotional factors of empathy. Not only Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) (Davis(1980)) but also empathy questionnaire (Bryant(1982)'s questionnaire translated by Park Seong-hui (1997) to revise at the level of the 5th year of elementary school by Kim Gyeong-mi (2011)) was used: The author made correction and supplemented terminologies of the questionnaire after discussions with fellow teachers to meet level of the 2nd year students of elementary school.
IBM SPSS Statistics 20 was used. Not only t-test but also ANCOVA was used. To supplement limitation of quantitative research, the author did qualitative research based on her watch, rating and description of experimental group students.
The author developed empathy education program based on textbooks to teach students considering class situation that was difficult to prepare for empathy education separately.
The empathy education program developed was used for the 2nd year students to teach them for the 15th lesson from end of August, 2012 until early November, 2012.
The findings were:
At post test of empathy, experimental group with empathy education program had significant difference from control group without the program. The empathy education program helped students have affirmative attitude toward empathy to improve class atmosphere and to lessen conflicts. The program that improved empathy of elementary school low graders helped the students improve and cognize empathy and put the program into practice.
The study had implications:
First, empathy education program tested effects of better empathy of the students to improve students' empathy by education.
Second, the program was developed for elementary school low graders to test its effects: In the future, various kinds of empathy education programs for elementary school low graders should be developed.
Third, empathy education program of the curriculum in this study should be developed to make an example of character education at curriculum class.