Using Eyewitnesses to Promote Students' Empathy in the History Classroom

• In Event: Intervening to Tackle Polarization in and Through Education: What Paradigms, What Merits?

Abstract

Objectives or purposes

As a result of digitalization and polarization, one’s own perspective is often confirmed, which may decrease the possibilities and the perceived urgency to empathize with other perspectives. In history education, students examine other perspectives by engaging in historical empathy with historical figures to understand the experiences, decisions, and actions of people in the past (Endacott & Brooks, 2013). The aim of this study was to gain more insight into promoting empathy by using eyewitnesses in the history classroom.

Theoretical framework

One of the proposed approaches to promote historical empathy is the use of eyewitnesses. Previous research has shown that students and teachers consider this an effective way to work on historical empathy (Authors, 2020). The use of eyewitnesses does a strong appeal to the affective side of empathy and can highlight context and motivations. However, engaging in historical empathy, might not be enough for students to develop understanding of the skill, what you do when you engage in it, and why it is important. Although research into explicit teaching of complex skills in history has shown how important it is that students understand and value the skill that they are supposed to master, teachers hardly teach it explicitly (Authors, 2020). Next to explicit instruction, research has shown the importance of offering historical context, developing students’ awareness of their own positionality, and paying attention to multiple perspectives (Endacott & Brooks, 2013).

Methods and data

In this quasi-experimental intervention study (using a pretest posttest followup design) we investigated whether a lesson unit about Israel/Palestine making use of eyewitnesses and designed from pedagogical design principles discussed above, increased 10th-grade students’ (N=97) understanding of empathy, confidence in their ability to empathize, and attribution of importance to empathy. We compared two conditions: the use of two guest speakers (one Jewish and one Palestine) versus eyewitnesses in a documentary. The data were collected via questionnaires containing closed and open questions.

Results

The results showed that after the lesson unit, students in both conditions were more confident in their ability to empathize, and were better able to explain what empathy means and why it is important. After two months, progress on these items was still significant. In the condition with the guest speakers students scored significantly higher on understanding empathy than students who participated in the lesson unit with the documentary. It can be concluded that the principles provided guidance for designing lessons to promote empathy. Secondly, both the use of guest speakers and eyewitnesses through a documentary seemed to promote empathy.

Significance

This study contributes to the understanding of developing empathy through eyewitnesses in history classes and the measurement of students’ understanding of empathy. The study has informed a professional development program for history teachers to teach explicitly for empathy using eyewitnesses.

Authors

• Hanneke Bartelds, Amsterdam University

• Geerte Maria Savenije, University of Amsterdam

• Jannet Van Drie, University of Amsterdam

• Carla Van Boxtel, University of Amsterdam