Abstract:

This study investigates empathy as a socio-affective competence in teacher training, with the aim of mapping the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that constitute it. The research is developed through a case study with teachers who participated in two courses at a Brazilian public university. The relevance of this study lies in the need to understand empathy as a central element for pedagogical mediation, conflict resolution, and the construction of collaborative, ethical, and inclusive educational practices.

In this context, socio-affective competence is defined as the set of conditions and resources that an individual mobilizes to manage a given situation with an emotional load, including affects, emotions, moods, and personality traits. Empathy, in turn, is understood as the ability to identify another person's mental and emotional states and respond to them appropriately. Thus, the individual draws upon their own repertoire of emotions and feelings – their empathic repertoire – to inform decision-making and assist others.

Studies in neuroscience and psychology indicate that empathy is a dynamic and multifaceted process. Its components—cognitive, affective, social, and, in the digital context, technological—are interdependent and can be developed or activated at different intensities and times, according to personal events and experiences. Therefore, the socio-affective competence of empathy in teacher training refers to the ability to understand the student's emotional situation, validate and respect their needs and opinions, interacting with affection, support, and responsibility in face-to-face or virtual environments.

The research involved the active participation of 50 teachers from various fields of knowledge, working in basic, technical, or higher education. For data collection, the active methodology known as Station Rotation was applied. This pedagogical approach organizes participants into groups that rotate through stations at predefined times. For this purpose, four stations were defined, intrinsically linked to the cognitive, social, affective, and technological components of empathy. At each station, the groups were confronted with didactic situations or challenges involving events in society. The analysis of the records produced during the application of the active methodology was carried out through content analysis, which allowed for the elaboration of the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Socio-affective Competence of Empathy in Teacher Training framework.

The results obtained indicate that the Station Rotation methodology constituted a clear and effective pedagogical proposal for personal reflection and an incentive for the construction of socio-affective competence of empathy in students. The dynamic of alternating between stations favored active participation, dialogue, listening, and the co-responsibility of the participating teachers for the formative process. It is concluded that the integration of empathy as a structuring axis of teacher training enhances the construction of more humane, collaborative, and socially responsible pedagogical practices.

Keywords:

Empathy, socio-affective competence, teacher training, active methodology, station rotation.