The Role of Empathy-Based Learning Experience in Students’ Helping Attitudes and Empathic Tendencies

Abstract

Empathy is a fundamental competence across all disciplines that involve human services, and prior research has demonstrated that it can be enhanced through structured educational interventions. This study aimed to examine the effects of an empathy-based learning experience, delivered through a Communication Skills course, on the helping attitudes, empathy skills, and empathic tendencies of undergraduate students. The research was conducted using a pretest–posttest control group experimental design. The sample consisted of 74 first-year students enrolled in the Department of Social Work at the University of Health Sciences. To minimize interaction between groups, students who selected the course as an elective (n = 34) formed the experimental group, while those who took it as a compulsory departmental course (n = 40) served as the control group. The course content was developed and delivered by the researcher, integrating both theoretical knowledge and practical exercises designed to foster empathic engagement. Data were collected through a short demographic questionnaire, the Empathy Skills Scale–Form B (Dökmen, 1988), the Empathic Tendency Scale (Dökmen, 1988), and the Helping Attitudes Scale (Nickell, 1998; adapted to Turkish by Serpen & Hasgül, 2018). The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to assess normality, and paired-sample t-tests were applied to analyze changes between pre- and post-test scores. Findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in both empathy skills and empathic tendencies among students in the experimental group compared to their baseline scores (p < .05). Although post-test helping attitudes showed an upward trend, the change was not statistically significant (p > .05). Overall, the results suggest that empathy-based learning experiences can play a crucial role in enhancing empathy-related competencies among social work students, thereby strengthening their preparedness for professional practice in human service contexts.

Keywords: Empathy-Based Learning, Communication Skills, Helping Attitudes, Empathic Tendencies, Social Work Education

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/16-10-08

Publication date:September 30th 2025