Examination of the relationship between emotional intelligence levels and empathy levels of educators working i̇n a special education center

In light of the increasing prevalence of diagnosed children in contemporary times, this study has been developed with consideration of the concurrent growth in the number of special education centers and educators working within them. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the emotional intelligence levels of educators in special education centers and their empathy levels, in conjunction with the established variables. The research's population consists of special education centers across Istanbul, with a sample of 424 educators selected through the simple random sampling method. This research adopts a quantitative approach, utilizing a survey model. The data collection instruments for this research encompass the Measure of Emotional intelligence, Measuring Empathy: Reliability and Validity of the Empathy Quotient, and a personally crafted information form. Data analysis is conducted using SPSS 27 Software. For demographic comparisons of the scales employed in this research, One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is applied. Furthermore, Pearson Correlation Analysis is used to explore relationships between quantitative variables, while regression analysis is employed to ascertain whether there is an overlap in the scale scores. In this study, all statistical analyses were carried out utilizing SPSS 27, and an assessment was conducted to ascertain whether the scales exhibited normal distribution. During the evaluation phase, it was observed that the kurtosis and skewness coefficients of the scales fell within the -2 to +2 reference range (HahsVaughn and Lomax, 2020). In light of these results, conducting parametric tests in this research was deemed appropriate. According to the results of the research; Moderate positive correlations were detected between the variables of the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Empathy Level Determination Scale (r=.49, p<0.01). The results of the regression table show that the evaluation of emotions positively predicts the level of empathy (β=.33 p<.001). However, when the average scores obtained from the scales are evaluated, the scores of women are compared to men; The scores of those with a master's degree compared to those with a bachelor's degree; The scores obtained by those between the ages of 42-54 are compared to those between the ages of 34-41 and 22-34; The scores obtained by those with 16-20 years of professional experience are significantly higher than those with 6-10 years of professional seniority. Keywords: Emotional İntelligence,Empathy, Educators working in special education centers