Browsing by Author "Kallio, Laura"

Objectives. Earlier research has identified the potential of compassion in enhancing the ethical and socioemotional competences of individuals. A framework grounded in compassion has been proposed to integrate pedagogical approaches supporting well-being. Furthermore, earlier research suggests that recognition of the significance of compassion in university pedagogy impacts beliefs defining teaching, student-teacher interaction, grading and pedagogical practices. However, valuation and interpretation of compassion in university pedagogy by teachers and pedagogical developers has remained a grey zone in research. This study seeks to contribute to filling this gap. The objective of the study was to investigate what kind of meanings compassion is given in university pedagogy, and what kind of promoting and impeding factors exist for demonstrating compassion. The research questions were: 1) How do the university teachers and pedagogical developers perceive the significance of compassion in university pedagogy? 2) What kind of factors promote compassion in university pedagogy according to university lecturers and pedagogical developers? 3) What kind of factors impede compassion in university pedagogy according to university lecturers and pedagogical developers? Methodology. Data consisted of ten semi-structured thematic interviews with participants that had a minimum of five years of pedagogical experience. The participants’ target audience of teaching included university staff, graduates, and undergraduates. The participants were asked e.g. how compassion was demonstrated in teaching, the benefits and disadvantages of compassion, and the role of the teacher as a proponent of compassion. The interviews were analysed using an abductive content analysis. Results and conclusions. The study identified compassion in university pedagogy as a strategic, implicitly transmitting social phenomenon realizing proximally. The pedagogical meanings of compassion were conceptualised as compassion strategies that were divided into well-being -centric, learning-centric, community-centric and structure-centric strategy. Factors inhibiting compassion were mainly linked to teaching structures, leadership, and organizational culture. Factors promoting compassion were especially linked to collective awareness and organizational values. The distal, societal, and planetary impacts of compassion were evident in the case of individual interviewees. This outcome, together with the identified holistic significance of compassion, raise the question about awareness and need for targeted cultivation of compassion as an integral part of pedagogical and societal mission of higher education.