What can empirical research tell us about how to develop students’ historical empathy? A scoping review

Historical empathy, also referred to as perspective taking, is an important skill for students to learn. Students need to have historical empathy in order to understand the complexity of how historians explain past events. Historical empathy, defined by Downey (1995), is the ability to recognize how the past was different from the present, to distinguish between multiple perspectives from the past, to explain the author’s perspective, and to defend it with historical evidence. In this action research study, a teacher used historical debate to foster the development of perspective taking in her fifth-grade class. Through debate, students took on the perspectives of people from the past and gained a better understanding of past events. Debates increased students’ understanding of historical contexts and differences between different viewpoints in the past, both important aspects of perspective taking. Students, however, had trouble demonstrating that the past is different from the present.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to review whether culture affects accounting students’ learning processes to identify practical guidance for accounting educators facing a culturally diverse classroom. In spite of a significant literature thread in accounting education on student learning, relatively, little emphasis has been placed on culture-specific learning differences. The literature gap is particularly acute with respect to practical culture-specific guidance for accounting educators. This paper is organized along three primary inquiries into the role of culture in accounting education: first, do we know if culture impacts learning? Second, how much do we know about culture-specific learning styles in the accounting field? Third, what implications do culture-specific learning styles carry for accounting educators?Design/methodology/approach– Initially, the author surveys culture-specific learning styles literature, after which a more in-depth analysis of accounting-specific literature is conducted. The author then provides a synthesis of the literature followed by a discussion of the implications for accounting educators.Findings– Culture-specific learning styles carry several implications for educators such as problems associated with overloading short-term memory, the importance of prior experience and the role of visual prompts and motivation among students and educators.Research limitations/implications– It is an opportunity for accounting educators to explore practical teaching techniques that address differences in learning styles that result from culture.Practical implications– Culture-specific learning styles carry several implications for educators. Problems with culture may ultimately be associated with overloading short-term memory. Likewise, prior experience is an important aspect of culture-specific learning and should be recognized by accounting educators. Last, not all motivation need be sourced from the student, and instructors may explore the role of visual prompts when teaching international students.Originality/value– This paper highlights the importance of culture-specific learning styles research in accounting education and the need for accounting educators to carefully consider cultural implications, as international accounting education standards are pursued. The dearth of research into culture-specific learning styles in accounting education is addressed.

The student experience and engagement field is a rare mix of scholars and research on both the psychological theories that enhance student engagement and the everyday institutional and school policies that promote student engagement. It is an undeniably popular field, with practitioners, experts, university and school leaders, policymakers, and students all hoping to understand what they can do to foster engagement practices. This article provides a wide breadth of the historical and current research that has shaped student engagement today. First, it includes general overviews, books, and journals that contribute basic dimensions and theories for understanding the evolution of student engagement. Next is an examination of student engagement assessment practices and multiple perspectives on the ongoing discourse of how researchers and scholars should evaluate student engagement. Following are five key areas for improving student engagement: institutional efforts, the role of teachers, student self-efficacy and self-motivation, pedagogy developments, and finally, the impact of technology on the field of student engagement. Also discussed are the outcomes of student engagement, with sections devoted to academic outcomes, emotional and behavioral outcomes, and the relationship between student engagement and extracurricular activities. Student engagement through the perspectives of those outside the majority—minority students and international students—is then examined. The final section covers the best practices discovered so far within student engagement. An active attempt was made to include scholars from the international community. Although this article focuses on higher education, research on primary and secondary education is also referenced. A rich theoretical literature exists; however, student engagement is invariably an applied phenomenon, and many key studies are policy oriented.

Aim/Purpose: Fostering student engagement is one of the great challenges of teaching, especially in online learning environments. An educators’ assumptions and beliefs about what student engagement is and how it manifests will shape the strategies they design to engage students in learning. However, there is no agreement on the definition of concept of student engagement and it re-mains a vague construct. Background: Adopting the principles of user-centered design, the author maintains that to design learning experiences which better support student engagement it is important to gain insights into how students perceive and operationalize the concept of engagement in learning. The recent challenges of teaching effectively online prompted the author to reflect more deeply on the concept of engagement and how it might be achieved. Methodology: In the tradition of reflective teaching, the author undertook an informal, qualitative inquiry in her classroom, administering a brief questionnaire to students in her online class. When the themes which emerged were integrated with other literature and findings from the author’s earlier classroom inquiry, some insights were gained into how students ‘operationalize’ the concept of engagement, and weight was added to the authors’ premise of the value of humanistic approaches to university teaching, the need for greater emphasis on student-teacher connection and the necessity of considering the affective domain alongside the cognitive domain in learning in higher education. The insights were brought together and visualized in a conceptual model of student engagement. Contribution: The conceptual model presented in the present paper reflects the author’s present ‘mental model’ of student engagement in classes online and, when the opportunity arrives, in face-to-face classes as well. This mental model shapes the authors’ course design, learning activities and the delivery of the course. Although the elements of the model are not ‘new’, the model synthesizes several related concepts necessary to a humanist approach to under-standing student engagement. It is hoped that the model and discussion presented will be stimulus for further rich discussion around the nature of student engagement. Findings: Interestingly, the affective rather than the cognitive domain framed students’ perspectives on what engagement ‘looks like to them’ and on what teachers should do to engage them. Recommendations for Practitioners: By sharing the process through which the author arrived at this understanding of student engagement, the author has also sought to highlight three key points: the importance of including the ‘student perspectives and expectations’ against which educators can examine their own assumptions as part of the process reflective teaching practices; the usefulness of integrating theoretical and philosophical frameworks in our understandings of student engagement and how it might be nurtured, and finally the necessity of affording greater influence to humanism and the affective domain in higher education. The findings emphasize the necessity of considering the affective dimension of engagement as an essential condition for cognitive engagement and as inextricable from the cognitive dimension of engagement. Recommendations for Researchers: The emphasis in research engagement learning and teaching is on how we (the educators) can do this better, how we can better engage students. While the student perspective is often formulated from data obtained through surveys and focus groups, researchers in learning engagement are working with their own understandings (albeit supported by empirical research). It is crucial for deeper insight to also understand the students’ conceptualization of the phenomena being researched. Bringing the principles of design thinking to bear on educational research will likely provide greater depth of insight. Impact on Society: Empirical, formal, and structured research is undeniably essential to advancing human endeavor in any field, including learning and teaching. It is however important to recognize informal research in the form of classroom inquiry as part of teachers’ reflexive practice is also legitimate and useful to advancing understanding of complex phenomenon such as student engagement in learning through multiple perspectives and experiences. Future Research: Further research on the nature of student engagement in different contexts and against different theoretical frameworks is warranted as is empirical investigation of the premise of the value of humanism and the affective do-main in defining and measuring student engagement in higher education.

Aim/Purpose; Fostering student engagement is one of the great challenges of teaching, especially in online learning environments. An educators’ assumptions and beliefs about what student engagement is and how it manifests will shape the strategies they design to engage students in learning. However, there is no agreement on the definition of concept of student engagement and it re-mains a vague construct. Background: Adopting the principles of user-centered design, the author maintains that to design learning experiences which better support student engagement it is important to gain insights into how students perceive and operationalize the concept of engagement in learning. The recent challenges of teaching effectively online prompted the author to reflect more deeply on the concept of engagement and how it might be achieved. Methodology: In the tradition of reflective teaching, the author undertook an informal, qualitative inquiry in her classroom, administering a brief questionnaire to students in her online class. When the themes which emerged were integrated with other literature and findings from the author’s earlier classroom inquiry, some insights were gained into how students ‘operationalize’ the concept of engagement, and weight was added to the authors’ premise of the value of humanistic approaches to university teaching, the need for greater emphasis on student-teacher connection and the necessity of considering the affective domain alongside the cognitive domain in learning in higher education. The insights were brought together and visualized in a conceptual model of student engagement. Contribution: The conceptual model presented in the present paper reflects the author’s present ‘mental model’ of student engagement in classes online and, when the opportunity arrives, in face-to-face classes as well. This mental model shapes the authors’ course design, learning activities and the delivery of the course. Although the elements of the model are not ‘new’, the model synthesizes several related concepts necessary to a humanist approach to under-standing student engagement. It is hoped that the model and discussion presented will be stimulus for further rich discussion around the nature of student engagement. Findings: Interestingly, the affective rather than the cognitive domain framed students’ perspectives on what engagement ‘looks like to them’ and on what teachers should do to engage them. Recommendations for Practitioners: By sharing the process through which the author arrived at this understanding of student engagement, the author has also sought to highlight three key points: the importance of including the ‘student perspectives and expectations’ against which educators can examine their own assumptions as part of the process reflective teaching practices; the usefulness of integrating theoretical and philosophical frameworks in our understandings of student engagement and how it might be nurtured, and finally the necessity of affording greater influence to humanism and the affective domain in higher education. The findings emphasize the necessity of considering the affective dimension of engagement as an essential condition for cognitive engagement and as inextricable from the cognitive dimension of engagement. Recommendations for Researchers: The emphasis in research engagement learning and teaching is on how we (the educators) can do this better, how we can better engage students. While the student perspective is often formulated from data obtained through surveys and focus groups, researchers in learning engagement are working with their own understandings (albeit supported by empirical research). It is crucial for deeper insight to also understand the students’ conceptualization of the phenomena being researched. Bringing the principles of design thinking to bear on educational research will likely provide greater depth of insight. Impact on Society: Empirical, formal, and structured research is undeniably essential to advancing human endeavor in any field, including learning and teaching. It is however important to recognize informal research in the form of classroom inquiry as part of teachers’ reflexive practice is also legitimate and useful to advancing understanding of complex phenomenon such as student engagement in learning through multiple perspectives and experiences. Future Research: Further research on the nature of student engagement in different contexts and against different theoretical frameworks is warranted as is empirical investigation of the premise of the value of humanism and the affective do-main in defining and measuring student engagement in higher education.

From physical feelings to empathy: An immersive virtual reality approach to facilitate physical empathy

This case study investigated high school student engagement in acquiring second language knowledge through YouTube music videos. A Chinese English learner who had lived in the United States for a year developed fundamental language skills but was hesitant to engage in language learning at the start of the project. Data collection was conducted over 10 weeks and involved semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and in-class artifacts related to YouTube music learning activities. The findings indicated that the learner engaged with YouTube music videos from four perspectives: behavioral, emotional, social, and cognitive. From a behavioral perspective, singing recurring routines continuously engages the learner by promoting participation in language development. From an emotional and social perspective, music genres engage the learner through high affective input and peer interaction, facilitating the acquisition of cultural knowledge and daily communicative skill. From a cognitive perspective, multimodal features (e.g., lyrics and rhythm) stimulate the learner’s cognition by providing mnemonic aids that enhance memory for vocabulary and pronunciation competencies. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are provided for English language learning contexts, shedding light on the conceptual development of student engagement, multilingual teacher education, and multimodal learning. This study identifies future research trends in the instructional use of YouTube videos from multiple perspectives, including the transfer of working memory to long-term memory, digital multimodal composing (DMC), and generative AI.

Chapter 1 Introduction : In Pursuit of Historical Empathy Chapter 2 The Role of Empathy in the Development of Historical Understanding Chapter 3 Empathy, Perspective Taking, and Rational Understanding Chapter 4 From Empathic Regard to Self-Understanding: Im/Positionality, Empathy, and Historic Contextualization Chapter 5 Crossing the Empty Spaces: Perspective-Taking in New Zealand Adolescents' Understanding of National History Chapter 6 Teaching and Learning Multiple Perspectives on the Use of the Atomic Bomb: Historical Empathy in the Secondary Classroom Chapter 7 Perspectives and Elementary Social Studies: Practice and Promise Chapter 8 The Holocaust and Historical Empathy: The Politics of Understanding Chapter 9 Historical Empathy in Theory and Practice: Some Final Thoughts

The benefits of using literature in second/foreign language instruction have been re-gaining recognition in recent years. This study investigates a reading program implemented by an experienced teacher in a Chinese high school, with the aim of exploring students’ and teachers’ perceptions, as well as possible pedagogical strategies. Graphic novels were used in the program, facilitated by such literacy activities as reader’s theatre, keeping a reflection journal, literature circles, and explicit vocabulary teaching. This exploratory case study lasted for four months, collecting data from student and teacher participants, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, reflection journals, artifacts, and relevant documents. Using the framework of a critical literacy approach to second/foreign language teaching, this study finds that with explicit teacher guidance and critical pedagogies, students developed high-order reading/thinking skills, multiple perspectives, historical empathy, and agency by engaging in multiliteracies practices through language-literature integration. Additionally, by highlighting some of the challenges and confusions teachers encountered, this study draws attention to the need for teacher training in the implementation of this pedagogical approach, alongside implications for future research and practice.

In recent years, topics that concern race, social injustices, or frame America as a nation that has not always lived up to democratic ideals have been labeled as divisive and unpatriotic. The social studies classroom is where students should examine in equal measure how a nation has fallen short, persevered, and triumphed. In this article, the author discusses how teachers may use historical empathy to examine history accurately and authentically. When engaging in historical empathy, students analyze multiple perspectives, especially those of marginalized groups. They contextualize the past and make affective connections with historical figures in order to understand how values, beliefs, and emotions impact why people made certain decisions and engaged in certain behaviors. The author explores how to develop students’ historical empathy skills utilizing graphic novels. The activities in this article focus on the graphic novel Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana to explore the political and social upheavals during U.S. Reconstruction. Graphic novels aid in the development of historical empathy by allowing for a deeper analysis of historical figures, how issues such as race and social injustice have origins in the past, implications for the present, and impact all people in a nation.

Two concerns in public Indigenous education are the education of teachers and the engagement of students. In this study, drawing on stories and multiple perspectives is an approach presented to address both concerns. In open-ended interviews with seven Indigenous educators and leaders in urban public school boards, story was highlighted as a central component of the success of Indigenous students. Participants believed that educators’ understanding and teaching practice is enriched by seeking out stories and multiple perspectives—those of Indigenous students and their families and communities in particular. They also believed that when these stories are valued in school, students’ sense of belonging and engagement increase. This paper explores various angles on drawing on stories in public schools as modes of engagement and learning for both educators and students. These angles address the experiences that students, teachers, and families bring to schools and the stories tied to local communities and embedded in Canadian school systems.

This chapter forwards a justification, an explanation, and numerous examples related to an emerging integrated sustainability management theory and its connections to other management theories and key-related concepts including systems and immersion. An integrated approach to sustainability solutions presents several implications for educators, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, including the need to consider urgent and immediate responses that address sustainability crises at multiple levels and in multiple systems. This chapter is intended to promote reflection, dialogue, and a collective call to action to secure a sustainable world for present and future generations.

This article describes an examination of recent television ads, primarily in respect to the treatment of older persons. The purpose was to analyze the ads to determine if older people and images of aging are portrayed in negative or stereotypical ways. A total of 136 commercials were selected for content analyses. The sample of older persons and people of other age groups were viewed and coded by a minimum of two judges. The most significant finding was the absence of the elderly in television commercials. Only 11 of 358 human characters were judged to be 60 or older, only 41 were 50 or older. Of the 130 human characters judged to be central figures, only 6 were thought to be 60 or older. This article provides several implications for educators. They center around the notion that the educator must become assertive in helping both the older person and the Madison Avenue executive take steps to portray the older person more positively and realistically.

In this chapter, the authors introduce a global synchronous e-learning platform that is used for teaching virtual collaboration, multicultural communication, and business process management. The platform has been used in joint learning sessions between international universities, and the data of the study has been gathered from self-reflecting essays of the participating university students. The authors analyze the data from the point of view of how the students create a social and cultural identity in this totally virtual environment in which no student will probably ever meet face-to-face his or her team members and collaboration partners. They consider both the environment as a social construction as well as an environment that is technology supported. In this respect, the chapter has several implications for educators in the present global and ever-technology-richer university environment.

Input flood and input enhancement are two prominent techniques to develop learners’ writing competence. While the former refers to offering multiple sources to increase students’ gains, the latter implies highlighting certain linguistic items to attract attention. A plethora of studies have been conducted to measure the effectiveness of both techniques. However, a gap in the literature has been noticed in comparing input flood with input enhancement technique in terms of writing improvement in Iraq. Thus, the present study was conducted to measure the impacts of the input flood technique to teach collocations on 48 EFL learners who joined an intensive language learning program at the Language Preparatory School of Tishk International University in Erbil, Iraq. Participants, chosen by convenience sampling method, were exposed to input flood or input enhancement techniques to expand their colloquial expression knowledge within six weeks in the 2022–2023 academic year spring semester. Data were collected via writing exams and interviews as a part of the explanatory sequential research design. The findings, analyzed by SPSS 27 and MAXQDA, revealed that experimental group students who received the instruction via input flood increased their writing marks more significantly than control group students whose instruction was via input enhancement. Likewise, students who received the instruction with input flood had more positive views than students receiving input enhancement. The findings of the study may have several implications for educators who think about teaching collocations via input flood and input enhancement techniques professionally.