Science Teachers' Perspectives on Empathic Teaching and Social-Emotional Learning

Alabi  Freda; Isaac Taylor; Isaac Sonful Coffie

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10642599/v1

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Science Teachers' Perspectives on Empathic Teaching and Social-Emotional Learning

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Science Teachers' Perspectives on Empathic Teaching and Social-Emotional Learning

Alabi Freda, Isaac Taylor and Isaac Sonful Coffie

Research Square, Vol.27 August 2026

Research Square Company

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10642599/v1

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Abstract

empathy

empathic teaching

science education

social-emotional learning

teacher education

qualitative research

As schools place growing emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL), educators are increasingly called upon to integrate students' social and emotional development with academic instruction across disciplines, including science. While empathy has received considerable attention in general education research, little empirical work has examined how science teachers conceptualize empathic instruction or its role in SEL-oriented science teaching. This exploratory qualitative study examined how experienced science teachers describe empathic science teaching and its contribution to students' social-emotional learning and preparation for future life outcomes. Two experienced science teachers, one secondary and one postsecondary, participated in semi-structured interviews, and transcripts were analyzed using a hybrid thematic analysis approach combining deductive and inductive coding to identify recurring patterns across participants' perspectives. Five interrelated themes emerged: understanding students' emotional experiences, understanding students' perspectives, backgrounds, and lived experiences, attentive listening, active engagement in students' lives, and teaching with students' future development in mind. Participants described empathic teaching as extending beyond academic instruction to fostering supportive learning environments that encourage student agency, social-emotional growth, and preparation for responsible participation in society. This exploratory study contributes to the growing literature on empathic teaching in science education and underscores the need for further research, with larger and more diverse samples, on the role of empathy in science learning and teacher preparation.

Details

Title: Science Teachers' Perspectives on Empathic Teaching and Social-Emotional Learning
Authors: Alabi Freda (Author) - Morgan State University
Isaac Taylor (Author) - Morgan State University
Isaac Sonful Coffie (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: Research Square, Vol.27 August 2026
Publisher: Research Square Company 
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-10642599/v1
ISSN: 2693-5015
Copyright note: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Data Availability: The data for this study are not available to the public due to ethical concerns but can be made available upon reasonable request.
Organisation Unit: School of Education and Tertiary Access; Education and Learning Futures Research Cluster; STEM in Education Research Theme
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991262296002621
Output Type: Preprint

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