Investigation of the relationship between secondary school students' empathy skills and their root values: A structural equality modeling

The aim of this study is to reveal the direct and indirect relationships between the empathy skills of secondary school eighth-grade students and their root values. The sample of the study, which was carried out in the multi-factor predictor correlation design, consists of 646 volunteer secondary school eighth-grade students selected by random sampling method, who continue their education in 20 different public secondary schools in the town center of Uşak in the 2020-2021 academic year. The data of the study were collected with 11 valid and reliable scales such as "Empathy Scale, Justice Scale, Friendship Scale, Honesty Scale, Self-Control Scale, Patience Scale, Respect Scale, Love Scale, Responsibility Scale, Patriotism Scale, Benevolence Scale" which were developed jointly by the researcher and the supervisor. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, linear correlation and mediation analysis techniques. SPSS v.22 and AMOS v.24 package programs were used for data analysis. As a result of descriptive statistics and correlation analyzes, it was seen that the scores of the students in the sample were relatively high, and all values except honesty and friendship were related to each other. In addition, it has been determined that empathy is a skill related to values other than honesty. In line with the mediation analysis, it was determined that self-control is the full mediator between empathy skills and values of responsibility and patience, responsibility and benevolence value are the partial mediator between empathy skill and justice value and the value of responsibility and love is in the role of full mediator between empathy skill and patriotism value. On the other hand, it has been seen that the value of respect and justice has the role of full mediator between the value of responsibility and the ability of empathy. However, although there was a positive predictor effect between empathy skill and friendship value, no predictor effect was found between honesty value and empathy skill and friendship value. For this reason, the hypotheses H18 and H19 were rejected and therefore the mediating role of honesty value between empathy skill and friendship value could not be tested. These findings were discussed through the literature and it was concluded that the empathy skills of the students in the sample were related to the relevant values, and the said values were dynamics related to empathy and predicting each other. Based on the determined direct and indirect effects, it has been suggested to test the effect on empirical studies and concrete structures have been proposed for the teaching of the related variables to the teachers. Key Words: Social Studies Education, Empathy Skills, Root Values, Mediation Analysis.