TEACHING EMPATHY TO STUDENTS AGED 10-12 YEARS THROUGH STORYTELLING: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY

Abstract

Empathy is not an innate trait but a capacity that develops through emotional and social growth, enabling individuals to recognize, understand, and respond to others’ experiences with sensitivity. Stories are powerful tools for engagement, education, and influence, especially for young learners. This qualitative action research explored the effectiveness of a storytelling-based intervention incorporating creative activities designed to enhance empathy among primary school students. A total of 22 students participated in a series of structured sessions, including storytelling, role-play, and participatory drawing and narrative activities. Data were collected through four structured sessions conducted over four weeks, following a consistent sequence to ensure procedural uniformity. Quantitative data were collected using a pre- and post-intervention empathy assessment and analyzed through paired-samples t-tests. Results demonstrated a statistically significant increase in empathy scores (p < .001), with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 6.07; Hedges’ g = 5.96), indicating meaningful and consistent improvements across participants. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which revealed that students developed a deeper understanding of empathy through emotional awareness, perspective-taking, and personal connections with the stories, which encouraged prosocial thinking. Findings suggest storytelling with narrative-based and creative approaches can effectively nurture emotional understanding, perspective-taking, and prosocial behavior in young learners. These results highlight the potential of integrating storytelling and creative activities into classroom practice as a structured, engaging, and reflective approach to social-emotional learning. Future research may examine the long-term impact of such interventions and their application across diverse educational settings.