상황중심 공감적 의사소통 프로그램이 초등 통합학급 학생들의 공감능력, 또래관계망, 장애학생에 대한 태도 및 공감적 대화행동에 미치는 영향

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a situation-based empathic communication program on elementary students’ empathy abilities, peer networks, attitudes toward students with disabilities, and empathic conversational behaviors in inclusive classrooms. The participants consist of four inclusive classes, comprised of 91 students, from two schools. Two of these classes were the experimental group and the others were the control group. This program was developed through a 7-step research procedure. This program was organized with 3 elements of emphatic conversation: empathic listening, empathic comprehension, and empathic response. The experimental group participated in the program taught by the researcher for 12 sessions, while the control group participated in the Korean and Ethics lessons. The eight empathic situations (self-expression, gratitude, praise, encouragement, request, rejection, conflict resolution, and apology) were applied in the program content. The pretest-posttest control group design was applied. The difference between the two groups was analyzed by using the ANCOVA for empathy abilities, two dependent samples t-test for the attitudes toward students with disabilities, and a paired t-test for emphatic conversational behaviors. Netminer 4 was used to analyze any changes in the peer networks within the inclusive classes. This study demonstrates that the situation-based empathic communication program may have positive effects on the empathy abilities, peer networks, attitudes toward students with disabilities, and empathic conversational behaviors among elementary students. This study was significant in that it examined a situation-based empathic communication program in regular curriculum classes for “all” the students in inclusive classes. The limitation of this study, as well as suggestions for future studies, were provided.