Emotions, Empathy and Learning
PGCHE
•Activity
‘In hostels B&C, where children lie about on
the floor, cannot get up, refuse to eat, mess
their pants, steal whenever they feel a loving
impulse, torture cats, kill mice and bury them
so as to have a cemetery where they can go and
cry, in these hostels there should be a notice:
visitors not admitted. The wardens of these
hostels have the perpetual job of covering
naked souls, and they see as much suffering as
can be seen in a mental hospital for adults’
Docker-Drysdale, 1990, pg132
These children have experienced virtually
no empathy
What is empathy?
• An ability to feel and see the world from
another’s perspective by building a mental
understanding of others in your own mind
• allows human beings to understand and
value each others feelings and
understanding
• for teachers empathy crucial for emotional
and intellectual assessment, high quality
relationships and the appropriate scaffolding
of learning
50’s 60’s & 70s affective issues
taken seriously - from counselling
psychology to education'Just as the client finds that empathy
provides a climate for learning more of
himself, so the student finds himself in a
climate for learning subject matter when he
is in the presence of an understanding
teacher' (Rogers, 1975 ,pg 8)
Motivation – Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs
Basic needs have to be met before higher order needs
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html
http://www.tutor2u.net/business/people/motivation_theory_maslow.asp
A technology for humanising
education – David Aspy 1972!!!
• Nothing to do with ICT!!!
• The school system can be very inhuman
• The quality of the human relationships in the
classroom is central to good teaching
• Teachers need to value students, tune into them,
show them empathy and communicate very positively
with them
• Teachers are more successful if they know their
pupils very well and treat them as human beings in
valuing relationships, rather than as pupils to be
taught a set curriculum
• Designed a whole set of teacher behaviours in class
both to analyse classroom relationships and to
support teachers in using a more empathic approach
80’s &90s
Cognitive/skills domination
• mechanistic
• National curriculum, teaching competencies
• Tick box /hoop jumping approach to
learning
• devoid of emotion
• Late 90’s role of emotion returns to fashion
Our emotions and learning
• Think of a learning achievement you feel
really good about. What was good about it?
What effect did it have?
• Think of some aspect of learning you really
struggled in – felt bad about -- why was
that?
Have you ever overcome this set back?
• Do this following research apply to our
classrooms?
Teachers as moral models: the role of
empathy in teacher/pupil relationships
(Cooper, 2002)
• Detailed exposition and classification of
empathy at work in real classrooms
• Detailed explanation of effects of empathy
including how it supports learning, interaction
• But…. detailed explanation of how factors in
the contexts in which teachers work constrain
the use of empathy
Empathic treatment central to
both moral attitudes and learning
• Hoffman,1967; Rogers,1975;
Straughan,1989; Bottery, 1990
• Koseki & Berghammer,1992 – different
kinds of empathy – some more moral
• Noddings,1986 – care – engrossment in
others – feeling as they feel
• Murdoch,1970 - care – loving attention
• Vygotsky, 1986 – affective and cognitive
inseparable (educators focus on cognitive)
• When we approach the problem of the
interrelation between thought and language
and other aspects of mind, the first question
that arises is that of intellect and affect. Their
separation as subjects of study is a major
weakness of traditional psychology, []
(E)very idea contains a transmuted affective
attitude toward the bit of reality to which it
refers. (Vygotsky, 1986 p 10).
Emotion central to learning and
moral development
• Best, 1998 – emotions neglected in British
education –
• Goleman,1996; Damasio; 1994,1999,2003 neuroscience reaffirms the role of emotion
in interaction - therefore all learning is
affective in nature
• Leal, 2002 – interaction socio-emotional
process – turn-taking dialogue vital
Psychology, socio-cultural theory and
neuroscience affirm the human in learning
• Damasio, 1999 – each interaction causes us to
adapt our internal map of ourselves – this is
both a mental and bodily process and is
registered as a feeling
• To keep us keen on interaction feelings have to
be mainly positive or we withdraw –
• Since learning is the result of interaction we
need to keep the ambience in class positive
• intensive positive interaction (like falling in
love!!) supports processing, learning and
• Best argues that love is the spirituality at the
heart of education – mutually respectful
interaction (2003)
• affective and moral issues in education more
prominent again (Broadfoot, 2000,
Hargreaves, 2001, Deakin-Crick 2003)
• Much of this affective emphasis also
reinforced by recent literature on teacher
learning (Hoban, 2002, Ripple Report, 2003)
– not just children
• Damasio (2003) links spirituality to a sense of
bodily and mental harmony and serene joy and
testifies to the narcotic effect of such joy on
the brain.
Where does Emotional Literacy start?
Empathy and shared understanding starts with love and
being loved
What would he be saying if he could speak?
I love you
mum!
From non-verbal expression to lone
words
to rhyme and music
Emotional and sensual understanding
gradually expressed symbolically in
language
• Slowly, sometimes
painfully, sometimes
more enjoyably,
children master reading
and writing
• But we are multisensory creatures and
this is our natural way
of interpreting the world
• Research suggests that 93% of
communication is non-verbal
• Empathy and emotion expressed through
the non-verbal
Findings from thesis
• Empathy a rich and powerful phenomenon
which showed itself in different degrees in
different contexts – fundamental, functional,
profound, feigned
• Empathy develops over time and with
frequency of interaction
• Involves creating a rich mental model of
individuals which connects closely with your
own - both affective and cognitive –academic
and personal
Characteristics of empathy
(Cooper, 2002)
• Fundamental - initial characteristics
- means of communication
• Profound - 1-1 relationships
• Functional or relative empathy - used for
groups and to allow teachers to cope with
constraints of classrooms
• shallow and feigned empathy
Profound Empathy 1-1
 Developing
positive
emotions
and
interactions
 Understanding self, others and explaining
understanding
 Appreciation of all relationships
 Breadth and depth of empathy
 Act and take responsibility
 Richly adaptive and integrated concept of
themselves and others
 Moral aspects
Sharing very positive emotions
Well I get a superb sense of joy out of it (Anna 994).
trying to put yourself in the positions the learner's in and
trying to see what would be difficult, daunting or
enjoyable, I mean actually the enjoyment side of work is
very important: (Tanya 357/368).
Includes masking negative emotions
Time, Sole attention and understanding
Deep in discussion type of thing, fully concentrated on one
another on each other, like we are now (laughs) looking
into each other's eyes, nothing can escape one another's
attention (Claire 566/572).
Enthusiasm I think breeds enthusiasm ... you know it
generates itself (Sara)
Constraints on empathy
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poor teacher/student ratios
lack of time
Rigid, over-filled curriculum
competition, testing, league tables
secondary schools/HE -fragmented
relationships
• teachers’ personal problems
• unempathic management/systems
• children with multiple needs
Effects of empathy
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•
•
•
Increases interaction and communication
builds esteem /self-worth
creates emotional links
builds trust and security and provokes
emulation of empathy building empathic
climates
• Optimises Learning !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Emotional closeness reveals the hidden
factors which inhibit communication,
learning and development
• I think it's important to be empathic, not so
much to understand what these children are
learning inside the classroom, but trying to
understand why some of these children
respond and react in some of the ways they do
and see it in the light of some of the
experiences that they have that we don't see.
[] because things happen behind some of these
lace curtains, in these lovely houses, that we
don't know about (Terry) - all ages??
Empathy leads to emulation of
empathy – improves empathic
ambience and increases positive
interaction
• By your praise of somebody else you can
hear another child trying to mirror what
you’re doing (Charlotte).
• Intense positive interaction breeds positive
interaction
Classroom ambience and quality of learning
dependant on degree of profound empathy
available for individuals
Teacher
quality
Time
Curricular
Flexibility
teacher /pupil
ratio
Quality/ amount/frequency
of positive interaction
leading to profound empathy
Nature and groupings
of pupils in class
Quality
of management
Facilitative quality
of environment
7
Teacher dominant classrooms reduce
interaction
• When teachers dominate the class, emphasise
the negative over the positive, deny
interaction, then we recognise the literature on
alienating environments, power and control
typified by Foucault (1977) and Goffman,
(1961), Illich (1971), Hargreaves (1982).
• Such teaching is unempathic and large classes
and a rigid, fragmented curriculum especially
in secondary schools encourage this style
(Cooper, 2002) HE least empathic phase
• In such classes students are often treated and
react as a group – has been trend in primary
but perhaps changing back
• Students do not interact enough to internalise
learning and have little sense of ownership
over learning
• they do not have enough control or influence
to increase their self-esteem
• the classroom atmosphere is more likely to be
cold and unhappy and the students reflect the
attitude of the teacher making them unhappy
too.
Need to build emotional capital through
positive interactions:
• in homes
• in learning institutions
Have you come across students with no selfesteem ?
How did it effect them - their learning ?
What can we do to improve esteem?
Teacher characteristics
Empathic
Attitudes
open, warm, relaxed, goodhumoured, fair, ensures
fairness, models and expects
common courtesy, explains how
children should work or behave
in an understanding way rather
than criticising their present
work or behaviour
Unempathic
sees class as a group, not
individuals, not interested in
developing individuals, more
interested in teaching subject,
can be impatient, intolerant of
some pupils' weaknesses or
even whole class, does not
listen, finds it hard to change
tack if lesson not going well
and finds it hard to apologise if
wrong
Empathic
Facial characteristics
frequent smiles, generally
positive demeanour, expressive
face which shows emotions and
can switch emotions quite
quickly, tends to reflect student
emotions but also leads and
influences them e.g. if the
teacher wants to encourage
thinking/reflecting, she models
a thinking face
Unempathic
robot-like, not expressive, do
not show emotions, facial
expressions not in tune with
words
Empathic
Voice
positive, encouraging,
expressive, clear directions
when necessary and supportive,
varied, reflects accurately the
meaning of the words
Body-language
Uses gesture, animated, tactile,
moves around, uses body for
emphasis and explanation
|Unempathic
unemotional, efficient, businesslike, very matter of fact, tone
not in tune with words
wooden, unapproachable,
distant, formal, not animated
Empathic
Positioning
generally gets closer to child,
less distance, less formality and
in a large classroom provides
one to one support when
possible, moves around quite a
lot, sits down with pupils,
lowers whole body often down
below student's level.
Unempathic
more formal, distanced from
children, front of class, higher
than children
Empathic
Responses
knows and uses students name
frequently, listens carefully to
students, gives them sole
concentration when possible,
elicits understanding from
them, echoes and affirms their
comments, tries to give a
positive response but asks them
to elaborate or develop response
if weak, prompts and helps
them when necessary,
constructs answerable questions
to build confidence
Unempathic
responds more to whole class,
not understanding, not
individualised, overrides,
ignores pupils' comments,
negative or unhelpful responses
to children's attempts, does not
value extend or clarify
comments, doesn't spend time
explaining problematic issues
Empathic
Content of teaching
frequently initiates a session
with some aspect of topic that
relates directly to child's own
experience, personal interest,
humour and discussion of non
academic issues interspersed at
appropriate moments through
lesson, the personal used as a
vehicle into the subject matter
Unempathic
Sticks to curriculum/subject,
blanket teaching, little
differentiation, does not relate
to children's interests and
understanding or to the real
world
Empathic
Method of teaching
varied teaching strategies,
relaxed but rigorous, involves
changes of pace and style,
adaptable and flexible, sessions
well-structured, individualised
and personalised wherever
possible, use of differentiation matches task to child, explains
problem issues, takes time over
any issues, prepares individual
material for children who need
it
Unempathic
more rigid, lacks variety, lacks
interpersonal level, elicits less
from pupils, more instruction,
less reflection/discussion,
interaction, less reflection of
pupils interest, emotions
Empathic
Other features
Uses humour, 'not like a
teacher’, in touch with student's
interests, form personal
relationships with each child,
considers the informal
significant, very aware of
individual social and emotional
aspects, put time and effort into
relationships. Concerned with
out of school life of child.
Maintain a long-term view of
the child's well-being.
Unempathic
Behaves like a teacher, lacking
in humour, shows false
emotion, does not concern
themselves with personal issues
with children, tends to ignore
emotional aspects of
interaction. Not particularly
interested in the child beyond
today's class.
The concept of capital --
Social & cultural capital - Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002)
Emotional capital - needed for constructive learning
Pennies from Heaven – Dennis
Potter
- characters symbols of ways of
learning
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children fear her
cruel
rigid
aggressive
confrontational
rule-bound
abrupt
tense
empathy limited to only some children
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•
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warm
loving
sensitive to children’s feelings
imaginative
creative
Uses all senses - music, dancing ,stories, drama
natural world - fun-loving
very positive discipline
familial
The big questions
• Sit back for one minute and characterise
your ideal learning experience –
• Which factors would make it ideal?
• Think about your ideal teaching experience?
• Which factors would make it ideal?
Are universities good places to learn?
Could we make them better?
How ?
• No Place to Learn
Why Universities Aren't Working
Tom Pocklington and Allan Tupper
• http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/learning_envir
onments/lang.htm
• http://www.hobart.k12.in.us/technology/learn%20env
ir.html
• Cooper, B. (2004) Empathy, interaction and caring;
teachers’ roles in a constrained environment, Pastoral
Care in Education Vol 22 no3 Sept 2004
Possible
futures
•http://www.virtual.gmu.edu/pdf/constr.pdf