Improving Low Achievers’ Performance by Promoting Empathic Behaviors in Elementary School Science Reciprocal Teaching

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of promoting empathic behaviors on the performance of low achievers in elementary school science classes. The same teacher carried out reciprocal science teaching for the unit “How Things Melt” in two classes of 65 students in the fifth grade of elementary school, one that included the promotion of empathic behaviors, and a control class that did not. Low achievers in the class that promoted empathic behaviors attained higher test scores than those in the class without such promotion. They also received more empathic behaviors from the questioner and this encouragement appeared to produce more effective utterances in their communication that helped improve these pupils’ performances. These findings suggest that promoting and fostering empathic behaviors in class may improve performance and learning among low achievers by encouraging effective utterances and fostering an atmosphere of positive communication.