Empathy as a determinant of disruptive behavior in elementary schools in La Maná Canton, Ecuador

Abstract

Disruptive behaviors constituted a significant challenge in the contemporary educational field, negatively affecting the teaching-learning process and deteriorating school coexistence, while empathy emerged as a potential protective factor for reducing these problematic behaviors. This study aimed to determine the correlation between empathy and disruptive behaviors in basic education students from La Maná canton during the 2024-2025 academic period. Descriptive correlational research with non-experimental, cross-sectional and field design was developed, where the population consisted of 120 teachers belonging to three educational institutions at the Basic Education level in La Maná canton. A structured questionnaire under Likert scale with four response alternatives was applied, whose data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. The findings revealed a very strong negative correlation between empathy and disruptive behaviors, evidencing a statistically significant inverse relationship. Most participating teachers recognized that active listening contributed substantially to improving the emotional climate of the classroom and considered that these techniques effectively reduced disruptive behaviors. Additionally, emotional empathy was positively valued by participants as an effective strategy to prevent interpersonal conflicts in the school environment. The results confirmed the existence of a significant negative correlation between empathy and disruptive behaviors, suggesting that the increase in empathy levels was directly associated with the decrease of problematic behaviors in the classroom, evidencing the importance of implementing systematic educational strategies oriented to developing empathic competencies as a comprehensive preventive mechanism for disruptive behaviors in basic education.