Empathy and Meaningful Work among Special Educators

Ceana Fernandes and Anushka Ria Fernandes
Carmel College of Arts, Science and Commerce for Women, Nuvem-Goa

Pages:271-278

Special educators work in emotionally demanding classroom environments as they
closely deal with children with diverse learning needs that require strong socio-emotional
competencies. The present study assessed the role of Empathy in Meaningful Work
among special educators in Goa. A sample of 176 special educators working in various
special and inclusive schools was gathered using purposive sampling. Empathy and
Meaningful Work were measured using the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire and the
Work and Meaning Inventory. The results revealed a significantly weak positive
relationship between Empathy and Meaningful Work among special educators. However,
the results did not show significant differences in Empathy based on professional variables
like instructional domain and years of teaching experience. The above findings indicate
the importance of Empathy in increasing the sense of Meaningful work within special
education.