This study was done to verify what effects Empathy Education Program focussed on children have on their empathic ability and aggression.
1. What effects does Empathy Education Program for children have on their empathic ability(factor of sadness, men...
This study was done to verify what effects Empathy Education Program focussed on children have on their empathic ability and aggression.
1. What effects does Empathy Education Program for children have on their empathic ability(factor of sadness, mental burden, pleasure, and anxiety)?
1-1. What effects does the program have on factors of children's sadness?
1-2. What effects does the program have on factors of children's mental burden?
1-3. What effects does the program have on factors of children's pleasure?
1-4. What effects does the program have on factors of children's anxiety?
2. What does Empathy Education Program for children influence their physical and linguistic aggression?
2-1. What does the program influence children's phyiscal aggression?
2-2. What effects does the program have on children's linguistic aggression?
In order to verify these subjects of study, 39 children at the age of 4 through 5 of 'H' kindergarten in 'P' city, Kyeongbok province have been designated as an experimental group, and 40 children at the same ages of 'E' kindergarten were set as a controlled group. Twelve weeks programs were run to the experimental group, and no programs were applied to the controlled group. When the program tests finished, an average and standard deviation of the score for lower factors of empathic ability and aggression was calculated in order to find out what differences appear to empathic ability and aggression between the experimental group and the controlled group. And using pre-test score as a covariate, covariance analysis for post-test score was done. Data collected from this study were processed by SPSS 18.0 statistic program for Windows.
The analysis results to verify effects of the applied program are as follows :
1. It was appeared the program effects on factors of children's pleasure and anxiety. However, it was appeared that the program has no effects on factors of children's sadness and mental burden.
2. It was appeared that the program influences on children's linguistic and physical aggression.
According to the total scores on aggression, the program have main effects on the experimental group when pre-test effects were eliminated. Therefore, it was appeared that the program influences on children's entire aggression. In view of the results so far achieved, it was shown that empathy program for early childhood has an effects on children empathic ability and aggression. It is meaningful that this study was done under the conditions that current empathy programs mostly were mainly focussed on elementary school students and teenagers, and there are few programs and studies for children. This empathy program used some useful programs such as
Gordon's ‘Roots of Empathy’ educational program which was modified for domestic children eduction program by Kim, Mi Jung, 2011. It also utilized some useful ones for children among empathy programs for elementary school students(Kim, Hae Yeon, 2009) and proper ones among the empathy programs applied to children(Yoon, sun a, 2010).
The followings are proposals for the follow-up study based on the results of this study.
First, due to the annual education schedule of kindergarten this program was made up only 12 weeks. However, it would be better if more running time is allowed.
Second, the empathy program made a meaningful difference between the two groups and a real effect on the experimental group. However, it requires to suggest and apply various situations and conditions.
Third, it seems that various games, role plays, and programs suitable for children need to be applied.
Fourth, this study did not compare the differences by children's ages, but it is necessary to study what effects will appear by their ages.