The Power of Empathy and Emotional Skills: Enhancing Classroom Climate in Arab High Schools.

This study investigates the impact of empathy and emotionmanagement on classroom climate perception among Arab high schoolteachers in Israel, aiming to clarify how these emotional capabilitiescontribute to creating a more positive classroom atmosphere. Specifically,the study explores the relationships between teachers’ empathy andemotion management skills and their perceptions of classroom satisfaction,cohesion, competitiveness, difficulty, and friction, while examiningdifferences in empathy levels between homeroom and non-homeroomteachers. Using a quantitative methodology, 120 teachers from five Arabhigh schools in northern Israel completed surveys to assess their emotionalskills and perceptions of classroom climate. The findings indicate significantpositive correlations between empathy and emotion management andteachers' perception of classroom satisfaction and cohesion. In contrast,emotion management negatively correlated with perceptions of classroomcompetitiveness, while both empathy and emotion management showednegative correlations with perceived difficulty and friction. A notabledifference in empathy was observed between homeroom and non-homeroom teachers, with homeroom teachers demonstrating higher levelsof empathy. This research offers practical and theoretical contributions byproviding insights into how emotional skills influence classroom dynamics, avaluable resource for educators and counselors aiming to enhance classroomenvironments. Educational counselors can leverage these insights to mapschool climate according to teachers' emotional abilities, guidinginterventions to strengthen positive classroom climates. However, thestudy's focus on a specific population limits generalizability, and furtherresearch across diverse educational contexts is recommended. This study’soriginality lies in highlighting the central role of emotional skills in shapingoptimal classroom climates, presenting a unique perspective on fosteringsupportive learning environments.