Culture, Not Color: The Role of Perceived Similarity in Teacher Empathetic Motivations

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 1:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching in Complex Times: Spotlight on Teaching Motivation and Emotions

Abstract

Teacher empathy can motivate teachers in ways that benefit them and their students. For instance, teacher empathetic motivations can positively influence teacher-student relationships and student grades. Understanding the motivational mechanisms that undergird teacher empathy is invaluable to anyone interested in these positive outcomes. Therefore, in this cross-case comparison study, I conducted case study analysis to explore the personal, social, and contextual characteristics of teacher empathetic motivations using the Dynamic Systems Model of Role. Finding suggested that sociocultural contexts shape their empathy-related actions, beliefs, goals, and self-perceptions. Findings revealed that teacher empathy is a dynamic, context-sensitive phenomenon shaped by teachers’ perceptions of cultural familiarity with their students, rather than solely by shared racial identity.

Author

• Joseph Eisman, Purdue University