Emotional Empathy: How Does It Contribute to Beginning Teacher Job Satisfaction?

• In Event: Lives of Novice Teachers

Abstract

This study examined how teacher emotional empathy, an important part of teacher caring, contributed to teacher job satisfaction compared with student behaviors and competence in student behavioral management. While teacher caring has unique importance in terms of educational ethics and student educational outcomes, little research has been done on how teacher emotional empathy and caring benefits the well-being of teacher themselves. It was found that teacher emotional empathy and caring contributed significantly more to teacher job satisfaction compared with the model that combines both good student behaviors and competence in student behavioral management. It is important for pre-service teacher education programs to develop empathetic skills in pre-service teachers.

Author

• Xiaofang Zeng, Texas Tech University