Abstract
In multicultural education, empathy has been regarded as an essential teacher disposition that enables teachers to better understand culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students through perspective-taking. However, less is known about the mechanism that underlies how empathy fosters teachers’ competence in supporting CLD students, i.e., their multicultural teaching competence. This study fills the research gap by investigating multicultural beliefs as a potential mediator between teacher empathy (operationalized via perspective-taking) and multicultural teaching competence (as indicated by knowledge, skills, and relationship-building abilities). A total of 445 Chinese preschool and kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong (188 pre-service and 257 in-service teachers) completed a self-report questionnaire assessing teacher empathy, multicultural beliefs, and multicultural teaching competence. Mediation analyses revealed that teacher empathy was related to higher support for multicultural beliefs, which in turn predicted better multicultural skills, knowledge, and relationship-building abilities. The multi-group analysis further indicated equivalent mediation paths for both pre-and in-service teachers. Extending past research underscoring empathy as an essential teacher disposition for multicultural teaching competence, the present study showed that the crucial role of empathy in transforming teachers’ belief in favor of multiculturalism helps foster teachers’ multicultural teaching competence. A practical implication of the present study calls for including perspective-taking and critical examination of teacher beliefs as key elements in teacher education programs that are aimed at facilitating early childhood teachers’ multicultural teaching competence.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Notes
The third factor was indicated by three items originally loaded on the skills factor (“building supportive relationships with ethnic minority parents”, “including perspectives of racial and ethnic groups in class” and “making changes with school environments so ethnic minority students will have an equal opportunity for success”) and one item originally loaded on the knowledge factor (“understanding various communication styles among different ethnic minority students”) in North American samples (Spanierman et al., 2011).
References
Abacioglu, C. S., Volman, M., & Fischer, A. H. (2020). Teachers’ multicultural attitudes and perspective taking abilities as factors in culturally responsive teaching. The British Journal of Educational Psychology, 90(3), 736–752. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12328
Aldrup, K., Carstensen, B., & Klusmann, U. (2022). Is empathy the key to effective teaching? A systematic review of its association with teacher-student interactions and student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 34(3), 1177–1216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09649-y
Apfelbaum, E. P., Stephens, N. M., & Reagans, R. E. (2016). Beyond one-size-fits-all: Tailoring diversity approaches to the representation of social groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111(4), 547–566. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000071
Aragón, O. R., Dovidio, J. F., & Graham, M. J. (2017). Colorblind and multicultural ideologies are associated with faculty adoption of inclusive teaching practices. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 10(3), 201–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000026
Audit Commission (2021). Report no. 76 of the director of audit: Education support measures for non-Chinese speaking students. Retrieved from https://www.aud.gov.hk/pdf_e/e76ch02.pdf. Accessed 10 Jan 2024.
Barr, J. J. (2011). The relationship between teachers’ empathy and perceptions of school culture. Educational Studies, 37(3), 365–369. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2010.506342
Batson, C. D. (2009). Two forms of perspective-taking: Imagining how another feels and imagining how you would feel. In K. D. Markman, W. M. Klein, & J. A. Suhr (Eds.), Handbook of Imagination and Mental Simulation (pp. 267–279). Psychology Press.
Batson, C. D., Chang, J., Orr, R., & Rowland, J. (2002). Empathy, attitudes, and action: Can feeling for a member of a stigmatized group motivate one to help the group? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28(12), 1656–1666. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461670223764
Bender-Szymanski, D. (2000). Learning through cultural conflict? A longitudinalanalysis of German teachers’ strategies for coping with cultural diversity atschool. European Journal of Teacher Education, 23Shift(3), 229–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619760120049120
Buettner, C. K., Jeon, L., Hur, E., & Garcia, R. E. (2016). Teachers’ social-emotional capacity: Factors associated with teachers’ responsiveness and professional commitment. Early Education and Development, 27(7), 1018–1039. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1168227
Census and Statistics Department Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2018). Hong Kong poverty situation report on ethnic minorities 2016. Retrieved from https://www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B9XX0004&scode=461. Accessed 10 Jan 2024.
Census and Statistics Department Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2022). Thematic report: Ethnic minorities. Retrieved from https://www.census2021.gov.hk/doc/pub/21c-ethnic-minorities.pdf. Accessed 10 Jan 2024.
Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14(3), 464–504. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834
Civitillo, S., Juang, L. P., & Schachner, M. K. (2018). Challenging beliefs about cultural diversity in education: A synthesis and critical review of trainings with pre-service teachers. Educational Research Review, 24, 67–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2018.01.003
Civitillo, S., Juang, L. P., & Schachner, M. K. (2021). Stressing similarities or ignoring differences? Shedding light into different forms of color-evasive ideology with pre- and in-service teachers. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 24, 135–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11618-021-00995-9
Cornelis, I., Van Hiel, A., De Cremer, D., & Mayer, D. M. (2013). When leaders choose to be fair: Follower belongingness needs and leader empathy influences leaders’ adherence to procedural fairness rules. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(4), 605–613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.02.016
Davis, M. H. (1983). Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(1), 113–126. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.44.1.113
Davis, M. H. (2004). Empathy. In J. E. Stets, & J. H. Turner (Eds.), Handbook of the sociology of emotions (pp. 443–466). Springer.
De Houwer, J. (2006). What are implicit measures and why are we using them? In R. W. Wiers & A. W. Stacy (Eds.), Handbook of implicit cognition and addiction (pp. 11–28). Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412976237
Dolby, N. (2012). Rethinking multicultural education for the next generation: The new empathy and social justice. Routledge.
Education Bureau (2022). Education bureau circular No. 17/2022 kindergarten education scheme enhancement measures on professional development of kindergarten teachers. Hong Kong: Education Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/preprimary-kindergarten/free-quality-kg-edu/EDBCM172022_EN.pdf Accessed 10 Jan 2024.
Education Bureau (2021). Report on the review of the kindergarten education scheme. Hong Kong: Education Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/edu-system/preprimary-kindergarten/free-quality-kg-edu/review-report/Report-on-KG-review_E_clean.pdf Accessed 10 Jan 2024.
Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487102053002003
Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). Teachers College.
Glock, S., Kovacs, C., & Cate, P. T. I. (2019). Teachers’ attitudes towards ethnic minority students: Effects of schools’ cultural diversity. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 89Shift(4), 616–634. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12248
Gu, M., Kou, Z., & Guo, X. (2019). Understanding Chinese language teachers’ language ideologies in teaching south Asian students in Hong Kong. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(8), 1030–1047. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2017.1332000
Hachfeld, A., Hahn, A., Schroeder, S., Anders, Y., Stanat, P., & Kunter, M. (2011). Assessing teachers’ multicultural and egalitarian beliefs: The teacher cultural beliefs scale. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(6), 986–996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.04.006
Hachfeld, A., Hahn, A., Schroeder, S., Anders, Y., & Kunter, M. (2015). Should teachers be colorblind? How multicultural and egalitarian beliefs differentially relate to aspects of teachers’ professional competence for teaching in diverse classrooms. Teaching and Teacher Education, 48, 44–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.02.001
Hahn, A., Judd, C. M., & Park, B. (2010). Thinking about group differences: Ideologies and national identities. Psychological Inquiry, 21(2), 120–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2010.483997
Hoy, A. W., & Spero, R. B. (2005). Changes in teacher efficacy during the early years of teaching: A comparison of four measures. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(4), 343–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2005.01.007
Jaber, L. Z., Southerland, S., & Dake, F. (2018). Cultivating epistemic empathy in preservice teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 72, 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.02.009
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32Shift(3), 465–491. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312032003465
Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: Aka the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74–84. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.p2rj131485484751
Leung, C., & Hue, M. (2017). Understanding and enhancing multicultural teaching in preschool. Early Child Development and Care, 187(12), 2002–2014. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1203308
Leung, C., & Hue, M. (2020). Factor structure of multicultural teaching competency scale for school-teachers in Hong Kong. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 45(7), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2020v45n7.1
Li, G. (2013). Promoting teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students as change agents: A cultural approach to professional learning. Theory into Practice, 52Shift(2), 136–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2013.770331
Lin, S. Y., Ng, C. S. M., Chung, K. K. H., & Chan, S. P. (2023). Teachers’ changed perceptions of pupils’ motivation for learning through professional development: The moderating role of classroom ethnic composition. Journal of Education for Teaching, 49Shift(3), 475–490. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2022.2135426
Liu, Q., Çolak, F. Z., & Agirdag, O. (2021). Teachers’ beliefs and practices in culturally diverse schools: An empirical study in Southwest China. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 27(7), 672–695. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2021.1987878
Makarova, E., & Herzog, W. (2013). Teachers’ acculturation attitudes and their classroom management: An empirical study among fifth-grade primary school teachers in Switzerland. European Educational Research Journal, 12(2), 256–269. https://doi.org/10.2304/eerj.2013.12.2.256
Marsh, H. W., Hau, K., & Wen, Z. (2004). In search of golden rules: Comment on hypothesis-testing approaches to setting cutoff values for fit indexes and dangers in overgeneralizing Hu and Bentler’s (1999) findings. Structural Equation Modeling, 11(3), 320–341. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15328007sem1103_2
McAllister, G., & Irvine, J. J. (2002). The role of empathy in teaching culturally diverse students: A qualitative study of teachers’ beliefs. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(5), 433–443. https://doi.org/10.1177/002248702237397
Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (1998–2017). Mplus user’s guide (8th ed.). Muthén & Muthén.
Park, B., & Judd, C. M. (2005). Rethinking the link between categorization and prejudice within a social cognition perspective. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 9Shift(2), 106–130. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0902_2
Pianta, R. C., Paro, L., K. M., & Hamre, B. K. (2008). Classroom assessment scoring system: Manual K-3. Paul H Brookes.
Plaut, V. C., Thomas, K. M., Hurd, K., & Romano, C. A. (2018). Do color blindness and multiculturalism remedy or foster discrimination and racism? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(3), 200–206. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721418766068
Richards, H. V., Brown, A. F., & Forde, T. B. (2007). Addressing diversity in schools: Culturally responsive pedagogy. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(3), 64–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/004005990703900310
Romijn, B. R., Slot, P. L., Leseman, P. P. M., & Pagani, V. (2020). Teachers’ self-efficacy and intercultural classroom practices in diverse classroom contexts: A cross-national comparison. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 79, 58–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2020.08.001
Romijn, B. R., Slot, P. L., & Leseman, P. P. M. (2021). Increasing teachers’ intercultural competences in teacher preparation programs and through professional development: A review. Teaching and Teacher Education, 98, Article 103236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103236
Rosenthal, L., & Levy, S. R. (2010). The colorblind, multicultural, and polycultural ideological approaches to improving intergroup attitudes and relations. Social Issues and Policy Review, 4(1), 215–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-2409.2010.01022.x
Siu, A. M. H., & Shek, D. T. L. (2005). Validation of the interpersonal reactivity index in a Chinese context. Research on Social Work Practice, 15(2), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731504270384
Spanierman, L. B., Oh, E., Heppner, P. P., Neville, H. A., Mobley, M., Wright, C. V., Dillon, F. R., & Navarro, R. (2011). The multicultural teaching competency scale: Development and initial validation. Urban Education, 46(3), 440–464. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085910377442
Stephan, W. G., & Finlay, K. (1999). The role of empathy in improving intergroup relations. Journal of Social Issues, 55(4), 729–743. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00144
Sue, D. W., Bernier, J. E., Durran, A., Feinberg, L., Pedersen, P., Smith, E. J., & Vasquez-Nuttall, E. (1982). Position paper: Cross-cultural counseling competencies. The Counseling Psychologist, 10(2), 45–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000082102008
Todd, A. R., & Galinsky, A. D. (2012). The reciprocal link between multiculturalism and perspective-taking: How ideological and self-regulatory approaches to managing diversity reinforce each other. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(6), 1394–1398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2012.07.007
Todd, A. R., & Galinsky, A. D. (2014). Perspective-taking as a strategy for improving intergroup relations: Evidence, mechanisms, and qualifications. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 8, 374–387. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12116
Todd, A. R., Galinsky, A. D., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2012). Perspective taking undermines stereotype maintenance processes: Evidence from social memory, behavior explanation, and information solicitation. Social Cognition, 30(1), 94–108. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2012.30.1.94
Tschannen-Moran, M., & Hoy, A. W. (2007). The differential antecedents of self-efficacy beliefs of novice and experience teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23Shift(6), 944–956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.05.003
Urbanska, K., McKeown, S., & Taylor, L. K. (2019). From injustice to action: The role of empathy and perceived fairness to address inequality via victim compensation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 82, 129–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.01.010
Virgona, A., & Kashima, E. S. (2021). Diversity ideologies and flourishing: An Australian study comparing polyculturalism, multiculturalism, and colorblindness. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 81, 236–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.02.002
Wang, D. (2023). Translanguaging as a social justice strategy: The case of teaching Chinese to ethnic minority students in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Education Review, 24Shift(3), 473–486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09795-0
Warren, C. A. (2014). Towards a pedagogy for the application of empathy in culturally diverse classrooms. The Urban Review, 46Shift(3), 395–419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-013-0262-5
Warren, C. A. (2018). Empathy, teacher dispositions, and preparation for culturally responsive pedagogy. Journal of Teacher Education, 69(2), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487117712487
Whitford, D. K., & Emerson, A. M. (2019). Empathy intervention to reduce implicit bias in pre-service teachers. Psychological Reports, 122(2), 670–688. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294118767435
Williams, J., & MacKinnon, D. P. (2008). Resampling and distribution of the product methods for testing indirect effects in complex models. Structural Equation Modeling, 15Shift(1), 23–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701758166
Yuen, C. Y. M. (2016). Enhancing early childhood schooling of south Asian children in Hong Kong: Beliefs and perceptions of kindergarten teachers and principals. Early Child Development and Care, 186(3), 403–418. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2015.1036420
Yuen, C. Y. M. (2022). Multiculturalism, educational inclusion, and connectedness: Well-being, ethnicity, and identity among Chinese, South, and Southeast Asian students (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429439315
Education Bureau (2023). Teachers in selected types of educational institution by sex. Hong Kong: Education Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/about-edb/publications-stat/figures/teacher-by-sex_EN.xlsx. Accessed 10 Jan 2024.
Rattan, A., & Ambady, N. (2013). Diversity ideologies and intergroup relations: An examination of colorblindness and multiculturalism. European Journal of Social Psychology, 43(1), 12–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.1892
Satorra, A., & Bentler, P. M. (2010). Ensuring positiveness of the scaled difference chi-square test statistic. Psychometrika, 75(2), 243–248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11336-009-9135-y
Acknowledgements
The C-for-Chinese@JC Project was funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to The Education University of Hong Kong led by Dr. Kevin Kien Hoa Chung.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical approval
All study procedures have been approved by the ethics committee at The Education University of Hong Kong and are in accordance with the ethical standards in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, SY., Chung, K.K.H. Linking teacher empathy to multicultural teaching competence: The mediating role of multicultural beliefs. Soc Psychol Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-024-09893-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-024-09893-4