Psychometric validation of teacher empathy scale: Measurement invariance in gender

Abstract

Result from Wang et al. study described the development and validation of an empathy scale for teachers (EST) and suggested that the EST could be an effective tool to assess the empathy of primary, middle and high school teachers in relation to their students. This study examines the factorial structure and factorial invariance of the EST in an Iranian sample. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to explore dimensionality and test for measurement invariance in factor structure, factor loadings and intercepts across gender in a sample (N = 462), of Iranian high-school male and female teachers (24–55 years). The data supported the multidimensional structure in both male and female samples. Accordingly, all factor loadings were significant and scale structure confirmed like the original scale. The results indicated that the EST includes three dimensions: cognitive empathy, negative affective empathy and positive affective empathy, and the internal consistency reliability of the three subscales are satisfactory in total sample and both sexes. Furthermore, the results revealed that invariance of the measure according to gender was confirmed. In addition, as the validity evidence, the EST is positively correlated with empathic concern scale scores. The study suggests that the EST could be an effective tool to measure the empathy of high school teachers in relation to their students in Iranian sample.

Psychometric Validation of the Adult Prosocialness Behavior Scale in a Professional Teaching Context

“…This agrees with the recommendations to evaluate the operationalization of the construct in a specific cultural, social, and professional framework [ 56 , 72 , 73 ], particularly one where prosociality becomes a relevant job skill [ 72 , 73 ] and—in the specific case of the context studied—authenticated by regulatory requirements [ 51 , 52 ]. Although possibly comparable in different degrees and forms of operationalization, the actions of helping [ 36 , 37 ], sharing [ 38 ], caring [ 39 , 40 , 41 ], and feeling empathy [ 32 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 ] constitute expressions of prosociality in various teaching scenarios, and it is displayed on multiple levels [ 1 ]. One is the micro-intrapersonal, which refers to dispositions and tendencies; another is the meso-intrapersonal, concerning behaviors directed to a person or small groups [ 1 ].…”

“…In this sense, empathy is a predictor of prosociality [ 7 ]. Teacher empathy has been defined as a teacher’s ability to include and share the emotional states of their students [ 43 ], and its relevance as an attribute has been demonstrated [ 44 ]. Greater empathy is related to a better preparation to address bullying [ 45 ], a greater motivation to display fair behaviors with the students [ 46 ], and a greater development of these aspects in the long term [ 47 ].…”