Relevance of empathy in educational relationships and learning processes

Abstract

The aim of thistheoretical argumentative study is to summarize the significant and overall aspects of the educational and training value of the teaching-learning activity, highlighting the relevance of empathy in all of the aspects of learning processes (cognitive, motor, emotional, communicational) and in the educational relationship. It is useful to consider the role of emotions, human relationships and learning to support a careful teaching approach combined with a high educational quality in meeting with students. The strong link between cognitive and emotions is constantly present in the learning process, particularly in the process of knowledge acquisition produced at school. In this place the cognitive activity has distinct features, such as: social, interactive, relational features, which require a vertical skill construction, in the relationship with teachers, and also a horizontal skill construction in the relationship with classmates. To help students to develop a greater empathy, stronger relationships and an effective communication, it is useful to induce them to put themselves in the shoes of others, so that they can become aware, for instance, of the suffering that leads children to an exclusive condition. At the teachers is required, always more, a strong educational sensitivity, they can recognize an effective empathic educational approach, which is the pedagogical and educational competence par excellence. In the first part, after proposing some stimuli for thoughts on the close interrelation between emotions, learning process and related implications in the teaching activity. In the second part, pedagogical considerations on the role of empathy in the teacher-studenteducational relationship will be described.