Personal and Job Factors Associated with Teachers’ Active Listening and Active Empathic Listening

Kyriakoula Merakou,Vasiliki Yotsidi,Vasilios Koutras,Anastasia Barbouni,Kalliope Kounenou,Vasiliki Xythali,Ntina Kourmousi

doi:10.3390/socsci7070117

Abstract

Active listening is important for effective interpersonal communication, a prerequisite for successful teaching. The presented cross-sectional study examined personal and work factors associated to active listening in 3.995 Greek schools’ educators of all teaching levels and specialties. The study questionnaire posted on official and main teachers’ portals included personal and working data items, the Active Empathic Listening Scale (AELS), and the Active Listening Attitude Scale (ALAS). Multiple linear regression was used to identify independently associated factors with AELS and ALAS dimensions, and standardized regression coefficients were performed to measure the effect of independent variables. Regarding AELS, gender had the greatest effect on the Sensing subscale, followed by age and mental health promotion training. Years of teaching had the greatest effect on Processing subscale, followed by higher studies. Gender had the greatest effect on Responding subscale, followed by age, higher studies, and mental health promotion training. Concerning ALAS, mental health promotion training and support from colleagues had the greatest effect on Listening attitude subscale, gender and mental health promotion training had the greatest effect on Listening skill subscale, and gender, age, and years of teaching had the greatest effect on Conversation opportunity subscale. The identification of enhancing factors like training in mental health promotion could significantly contribute in designing training that can simultaneously benefit teachers’ skills and students’ psychosocial well-being.

Highlights

Listening is an integral and essential part of the communication process, and when conducted actively, it plays an important role in effective interpersonal communication (Bodie 2011a; Bodie et al 2012; Robertson 2005; Street et al 2009), which in turn is a prerequisite for successful teaching (Bond 2012; McNaughton et al 2008)
The purpose of this study is to investigate the personal and work factors that are associated with active listening and empathic active listening skills of Greek schools’ educators of all teaching levels and specialties
The factors that were significantly and independently associated with greater ability to receive both expressed and tacit information as investigated by the Sensing subscale of the Active Empathic Listening Scale (AELS) measure were in order of effect gender, age, and training in mental health promotion, followed by higher studies (Masters and/or a PhD) and having students in class that needed special education according to specialists

Summary

Introduction

Listening is an integral and essential part of the communication process, and when conducted actively, it plays an important role in effective interpersonal communication (Bodie 2011a; Bodie et al 2012; Robertson 2005; Street et al 2009), which in turn is a prerequisite for successful teaching (Bond 2012; McNaughton et al 2008). Effective listening skills are the foundation of learning, which can only take place when the listener understands the speaker’s intention and provides the appropriate cognitive-behavioral response (Bond 2012). Active listening has been defined by Mineyama and colleagues (2007) as a way of listening and responding to others that improves mutual understanding (Mineyama et al 2007). It aims to help the listener develop a clear understanding of the speaker’s concern and subsequently clearly communicate his/her interest in it (McNaughton et al 2008).

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Conclusion