Abstract:

Emotions play a crucial role in the learning and teaching process. University professors not only actively participate in this exchange, but they also must create an adequate learning environment. This challenge requires having emotional skills that allow faculty members to perform with confidence and enthusiasm towards each group and show empathy for each student’s needs. However, this can lead teachers to feelings of stress and emotional exhaustion because of the greater amount of energy and time needed in order to satisfy students’ expectations. Therefore, the question arises: is there evidence that empathy works as a protective factor against emotional exhaustion?

This study aims to identify the relationship between empathy and emotional exhaustion in university professors. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, and quantitative correlational research was carried out. 167 teachers participated, where 89 are women and 78 men with an equal mean age of 45.86 (SD= 10.4 years). Empathy was measured with a short version of the Basic Empathy Scale made up of nine items, and a three-item subscale was used for emotional exhaustion, both Likert-type scales with scores ranging from 0 to 4.

The results obtained indicate that teachers report a medium level of empathy (X= 2.58, SD= .48) and a low medium level of emotional exhaustion (X=1.54, SD= .90); likewise, a positive correlation has been found between these constructs (Pearson's r= .230, p=.003). Furthermore, significant differences have been found between men and women in terms of emotional exhaustion, with women reporting greater exhaustion (t test= 2.84, p= .005, Cohen's d= .48) and more hours dedicated to teaching ( t= 2.66, p= .008, d= .41), as well as a higher level of empathy with respect to the male gender.

Teachers' ability to empathize with students' life experiences and perspectives may affect their approach to managing student problem behaviors, and this can be a major challenge for the teacher. This coincides with the data obtained in the present study, where there is a significant correlation between empathy and emotional exhaustion. Therefore, this study provides evidence of the importance of emotional exhaustion in the academic field.

On the other hand, the differences in emotional exhaustion and hours dedicated to teaching identified between both genders can be attributed to aspects related to social roles, specifically in those women who assume household activities and care for children. However, studies that delve into these variables are required to obtain more accurate conclusions.

Keywords:

Empathy, Emotional Exhaustion, Teachers, Faculty Development, Higher Education, Educational Innovation.