Three Models for Educating for Empathy and Humanization through Values Dialogue in Secondary School Classes

Author

Adam J. Hill, The University of Western OntarioFollow

Degree

Master of Education

Program

Education

Supervisor

Allan Pitman

Abstract

This thesis develops educable constructs of empathy and of humanization as well as a theory, a praxis, educational models, and measuring instruments of values dialogue that hypothetically can be used to foster and to measure changes in empathic and humanizing capacities among secondary school students. The theory and the praxis of values dialogue utilize a sample of Western epistemological philosophy, as well as some of the research and literature of the field of dialogic inquiry. This study then assembles educable constructs of empathy and of humanization by reviewing related research and scholarship. The empathy constructs consist of emotional literacy and of role-taking, while the humanizing construct consists of mutualities, the latter concept denoting ontological and epistemological elements, processes, understandings, and capacities that potentially can be shared among all human beings. This paper then establishes three educational models of values dialogue that can hypothetically foster the former constructs, each model nurturing one of them predominately. Next, this study outlines the procedures of the execution of the models and the assessments that double as potential instruments for testing for the presence of this study’s targeted empathic and humanistic capacities. Therefore, this study presents a testable hypothesis consisting of models of values dialogue which are intended to foster empathy and humanization. This hypothesis must be empirically tested to condone or to refute the merit of values dialogue.

Recommended Citation

Hill, Adam J., "Three Models for Educating for Empathy and Humanization through Values Dialogue in Secondary School Classes" (2014). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 2519.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/2519