Assessing Student Empathy in Higher Education

a systematic review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36704/eef.v28i55.8606

Keywords:

Scales, Studies, Instruments, Questionnaires

Abstract

The challenges posed by academic demands are not only increasing levels of anxiety and depression in students, but also decreasing their empathy. Assessing these higher education students’ empathy can enable the development of pedagogical actions for them to better adapt to learning. Instruments such as scales and questionnaires can be used for assessment. The aim of this article is to present a systematic review of the literature on scales and questionnaires for assessing student empathy in higher education, detailing their characteristics such as sample, size, reliability, and the country where the study was performed. A total of 44 primary studies published between 2018 and 2023 were selected for an in-depth analysis. Consequently, 22 empathy assessment scales and questionnaires were identified. The results indicate the need to explore the construction of new empathy assessment instruments aimed specifically at the educational context.

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Author Biographies

Rafael Leonardo Vivian, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Mestre em Ciência da Computação pela Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM). Especialista em Desenvolvimento de Sistemas para Web pela Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM). Especialista em Educação Profissional e Tecnológica pelo Instituto Federal Catarinense (IFC). Graduado em Ciência da Computação pela Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó. Professor de Informática/Programação de Sistemas no Instituto Federal Catarinense (IFC).

Leticia Sophia Rocha Machado, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Doutora em Educação e Informática na Educação pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Mestra em Gerontologia Biomédica pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Graduada em Pedagogia Multimeios e Informática Educativa pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Professora na Faculdade de Educação da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).

Patricia Alejandra Behar, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Doutora em Computação pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Mestra em Computação pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Graduada em Informática pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Professora Titular da Faculdade de Educação e dos Cursos de Pós Graduação em Educação (PPGEdu) e em Informática na Educação (PPGIE) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).

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Published

2025-07-23

How to Cite

Vivian, R. L., Rocha Machado, L. S., & Behar, P. A. (2025). Assessing Student Empathy in Higher Education: a systematic review. Educação Em Foco, 28(55), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.36704/eef.v28i55.8606

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Vol. 28 No. 55 (2025): Educação em Foco

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