Examining the Role of Empathy in Supporting Students in Technological Universities

Examining the Role of Empathy in Supporting Students in Technological Universities

Dr Emma Carroll

Emma.Carroll@tus.ie

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18018306

Keywords: Empathy, Technological Universities, Student Wellbeing, Student Support, Inclusive Education.

Abstract

Students attending higher education institutes are experiencing a myriad of challenges including academic and personal. There is a need to extend educators’ understanding of empathy and its pertinence in higher education by considering its significance. This discussion examines the role of empathy in supporting students within Ireland’s Technological Universities (TUs), as literature fails to address the knowledge in this area. Literature conveys that empathy is widely recognised as a key value in higher education, but little attention has been given to its importance in the context of the relatively newly established TUs. Due to the inherent challenge of navigating through their infancy in creating new strategies, it is timely that TUs consider embedded empathy into these institutional policies. Case studies on the South East Technological University (SETU) and Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) are presented to depict how empathy can support student wellbeing and retention. These case studies offer appropriate insight into how empathy is currently being operationalised in TU development, providing evidence that can potentially inform policy and practice across the sector. However, barriers such as organisational change and evolving institutional identities present significant challenges in doing so. The study concludes that empathy must be embedded into every practice in TUs rather than imposed through individual modules. Finally, the discussion ends with a call for further research to be conducted in this area, allowing the student’s voice to be heard through their time in TUs by the suggestion of a longitudinal study. This is particularly significant as the first full cohorts of TU students move through and complete their studies within these newly established institutions.

Carroll, E. (2025) Examining the Role of Empathy in Supporting Students in Technological Universities, The Journal of Education on the Margins, 1 (1), 10 -23, available https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18018306

Introduction

Empathy has been acknowledged as a pertinent value in higher education, which is often linked to student wellbeing and inclusive teaching practices (Makweya and Sepadi, 2025). While some research has been carried out on empathy in higher education (Efilti and Gelmez, 2024; Rivas and Husein, 2022; Mathur and Chowdhury, 2021) there have been few investigations into empathy within the context of TUs. There is a noticeable dearth of scholarship pertaining to how empathy is appreciated in Technological Universities (TUs). Consequently, there is impetus for further discussions on the role of empathy in supporting students in TUs. This discussion seeks to open a conversation around a topic that to date, has received scant attention in academic literature.

TUs are inherently characterised by their applied learning, equipping students with the skills they need to work in industry (Ginty and Harding, 2014). As such, producing employable graduates is a priority of TUs, as evidenced by the Technological University of the Shannon attaining the highest employment rate of graduates in Ireland for 2022 and 2023 (HEA, 2023). These institutions are also responsible for growing graduates who not only possess professional and academic competencies but also exhibit the capacity for empathetic engagement in their professional lives. Given the growing complexity of student needs including academic, social, financial and emotional, it is timely to apply a more empathetic approach in higher education. Implementing such can allow for increased retention rates as well as student satisfaction (Korn, 2021), while also preparing future graduates to meet the demands of today’s workforce.

This discussion begins by examining how empathy is defined within higher education in order to provide a basis for its role in the student experience. It then continues to examine the role of TUs in the higher education landscape, noting how these institutes are still in their ‘infancy’. Following this, the study examines the role of empathy in TUs and the ways in which it can contribute when supporting students. To assist bridge the gap between theory and practice, case study examples of how empathy has been integrated into teaching and student support are highlighted. The challenges and barriers to implementing empathy in TUs are then explored before the discussion concludes with a call for action and recommendations   for future research.

Empathy in Higher Education

At a time of significant structural transformation in Irish higher education, TUs are being tasked not only with producing industry-ready graduates but also with supporting student wellbeing needs (HEA, 2025). In recent years, empathy has been increasingly recognised as a fundamental factor in effective teaching and support in higher education. In literature perhaps the most notable definition of empathy is that of Rogers (1959, p.210), who depicted being empathetic as “To perceive the internal frame of reference of another with accuracy, and with the emotional components and meanings which pertain thereto”. While this definition is well known in scholarship, the context of this definition lies in therapy literature. This definition is rarely applied in education research and instead is functional within psychology literature. The 1960s saw an expansion to the definition of empathy when discussion began on whether empathy is a “teachable” skill. In particular, there has always been debate over whether empathy is a talent that can be learnt or if it is a fundamental aspect of human nature (Mathur and Chowdhury, 2021). Nonetheless, a number of studies examined empathy as a skill that can be learned and confirmed that practice and education may improve it (Efilti and Gelmez, 2024; Rivas and Husein, 2022). According to Coplan (2011), empathy can be defined as the ability to consciously comprehend another person’s experiences, including their feelings, while also being aware that the other person’s experience is perceived and not theirs. Coplan’s (2011) definition portrays empathy as an imaginative experience, meaning cognitive and affective components are needed. The definition of empathy offered by McLaren (2013) is most suitable to this study “a social and emotional skill that helps us feel and understand the emotions, circumstances, intentions, thoughts, and needs of others that we can offer sensitive, perceptive, and appropriate communication and support”. This definition recognises empathy as an emotional and an actionable skill that allows for supportive communication and behaviour. In the context of this discussion, this explanation is apt as communication is vital when supporting students in higher education. 

Zhou (2022), in their review of empathy literature by educational researchers identified five themes common to the definition of empathy. Empathy is defined as the ability to understand what a student is feeling and imagine what it would be like to subject oneself to their experiences. Zhou (2022) refers to being emotionally moved by what the student is experiencing mentally and emotionally, this is also referred to as affective empathy. Empathy can occasionally be recognised as a personal trait of the educator rather than just an occasional act. To be empathetic involves conveying concern and care towards the students. Finally, Zhou (2022) illustrates how some authors distinguish a difference between empathy and compassion, however the distinction between the two is not always clear. In the higher education context, these themes mean acknowledging the whole student, including their wellbeing and lived experiences, rather than just their academic performance.

In the scholarship of teaching and learning, Barton and Garvis (2019) divides empathy into two dimensions namely: cognitive and affective. Cognitive empathy refers to the process of intellectually understanding a student’s perspective (Giralt et al., 2024). In contrast, affective empathy denotes being emotionally moved by a student’s feelings (Coplan, 2011). Zaky (2024) articulates the transformative nature of empathy in higher education, illustrating how empathetic teaching improves student engagement, reduces the anxiety experienced by students and promotes a supportive learning environment. In order to increase student engagement and retention, empathy is essential. Students are more likely to feel appreciated and supported when teachers show genuine concern and understanding. Since students who feel understood are more inclined to stick with a course through difficulties, this emotional connection can dramatically lower dropout rates (Gupta 2025).

Emerging Needs of Students in Higher Education

Lynch (2025), a lecturer in Education in DCU's Institute of Education, in a recent RTE Brainstorm article, highlighted how a third of Irish third-level students are struggling with both the current cost of living and housing crises. As a result of these significant challenges, students are experiencing mental pressures of attaining housing, living with family and travelling lengthy distances, which are creating unnecessary stress for students and impacting their wellbeing. These pressures point to an emerging need for higher education institutions to engage more deliberately with the lived realities of their students, rather than viewing such challenges as external to the learning environment. Hamill (2024) advised that such pressures on students results in the likelihood of students dropping out of third-level education. Donnelly (2023) previously reported on mental health problems experienced by higher education students, depicting how 32% of students in Ireland have indicated that they have a disability, with mental health being the most commonly cited. This highlights a student population whose needs extend beyond academic support alone, raising important questions about how institutions, including Technological Universities, respond to student vulnerability. This unfortunate reality makes it evident that empathy needs to be at the heart of higher education’s mission and vision. Cultivating empathy offers a chance to improve student wellbeing by assisting students to stay engaged in their studies while giving them the best opportunity to succeed.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) (2022) conducted the Eurostudent Survey reporting on the social and living conditions of higher education students in Ireland 2022. One of the report’s key findings highlights a gendered disparity in perceived safety, with female students reporting a higher likelihood of feeling unsafe when walking alone on campus and in their residential areas compared to male students. Such findings suggest that students may encounter higher education environments in ways that are not always inclusive. Higher education institutes need to take the time to understand and respond to the personal realities their students experience. It is therefore imperative to create a learning environment where their students feel valued and supported

A study conducted by the Royal Irish Academy Higher Education Futures Taskforce (2024) discussed the future landscape of higher education where they emphasised how future learners will come from increasingly diverse backgrounds. Particularly, they state that these future learners will come from a broader range of socio-economic, cultural and age backgrounds, each bringing a unique set of challenges that must be addressed. Accordingly, the report conveys the need for higher education institutes to adopt flexible, student-focused teaching approaches that facilitate students as “co-creators of knowledge”. Students will be viewed as active participants in shaping their own educational experiences, meaning educators become facilitators and mentors.

Recent research by Dwyer and Seery (2025) exploring transformative experiences among current and past students of TUS reinforces the aforementioned student-focused teaching practices. Their research found that 77% of surveyed students reported having experienced transformative learning. Participants of the study characterised transformative learning as support from lecturers and meaningful educational activities with reflective assessments and open discussions identified as key factors. These findings suggest that empathetic interactions between staff and students play a central role in shaping meaningful learning experiences. They identified how these inclusive environments contribute to both individual academic development as well as the institution’s identity. This significant study by Dwyer and Seery (2025) determines the emerging needs of students and validates the significant role of TUs in developing supportive learning environments. However, it also raises a critical question as to whether such empathetic practices are embedded institutionally within TUs or remain dependent on individual educators.

The Irish Technological University Context

History

The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 saw recommendations proposed for the creation of TUs (Hunt, 2011). The Technological Universities Act (2018) commenced the process whereby Institutes of Technologies could request for TU designation in accordance with criteria set out in the Act. At present there are five technological universities namely, Technological University Dublin, Munster Technological University, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Atlantic Technological University and South East Technological University. According to the Technological Higher Education Association (2022), these new universities were formed to offer a unique blend of academic and vocational education focusing on applied learning and research in order to meet the needs of the region in which they operate. Despite the challenges faced by institutional mergers, as evidenced by (OECD, 2022), the TU model has been successful in the mission first mentioned in the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030. The Technological Universities Act (2018, p.14) determined the core functions of a TU as: “provide teaching and facilitate learning that is informed by research and promotes excellence at all levels of higher education within the framework”. Due to their emphasis on community, problem-solving and industry links, TUs are well-positioned to take the lead in developing welcoming and encouraging learning environments that meet their students' diverse needs. As such, TUs need to be adaptive and committed to supporting students' academic and personal growth in order to assist them in pursuing future employment and lifelong learning.

Student Demographics

One of the defining characteristics of TUs in Ireland is the diversity of their student cohorts (Duggan et al., 2025). It is widely accepted that these institutions attract a broad range of learners. This includes Leaving Certificate Examination (Ireland’s final secondary school examination) students applying through the Central Applications Office (CAO), who process applications for undergraduate courses in Irish Higher Education Institutions, as well as mature students and apprentices. The most appropriate documentation of these student demographics is the Cinnte (2025) reviews which evaluates the effectiveness of institution-wide quality assurance procedures. These reviews took place between Q4 of 2023 and Q4 of 2024. Each review noted the TUs efforts to support diverse populations. For example, TUS’s Institutional Profile published from this review process reported almost 15,000 students enrolled on taught programmes during the 2022-2023 academic year, with 10,000 of those students registered as full-time students and the remaining 5,000 registered on part-time courses (QQI, 2024). The review also indicated over 67% of undergraduate students account for Leaving Certificate CAO applicants, while Direct Entry applicants accounted for over 13% of entrants. The review went on to report 7.75% of students came from further education pathways and mature students represented 6.2% of undergraduate students. Thus, more than 32% of the undergraduate student population entered through non-traditional access routes in the 2022-2023 academic year. With this diverse student profile comes a large range of student lived experiences and educational backgrounds within TUs. The aforementioned diversity portrays the need for an empathetic learning environment as students may face various challenges throughout their time in university. Consequently, empathy is a pertinent factor when supporting students’ social and emotional needs.

Furthermore, TUs have been defined by media outlets as local institutions with smaller student group numbers meaning that students have better access to lecturers (Maguire, 2024). Traditionally, TUs have lower CAO points in contrast to traditional universities, making their programmes attractive to potential students. Accordingly, Maguire (2024) declared that due to the aforementioned characteristics, TUs attract a diverse student body, including mature learners, those who are neurodivergent, disabled students, carers, single parents, apprentices and those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. Acknowledging the diverse range of backgrounds and challenges these students face when TUs highlights the importance of supportive empathetic environments. Such efforts are essential to help every learner feel valued and included in the student experience.

How Empathy Supports Students in Technological Universities

Empathy is crucial in supporting student success and wellbeing within higher education settings. It is not only influential in building strong relationships between staff and students but also in shaping an environment where learners feel valued and supported (Tan et al., 2019). Given the various challenges faced by students during their academic journey, whether academic or personal, empathy is more important than ever.

In its simplest form, empathy pertains to the concept of understanding things from another person’s viewpoint. In education, this might be recognising when a student is overwhelmed or when their personal life is affecting their ability to engage with their studies. The article titled "What if Her Grandmother Really Did Die?" from The Chronicle of Higher Education delves into the complexities of student excuses related to the death of a grandparent (Hirschler, 2011). The article highlights a student’s different way of grieving, one that is not commonly seen whereby she continues her normal routine following her mother’s passing. This story signifies the role of empathy in understanding the potential challenges faced by students that educators may not be aware of. While this article does not directly mention an education setting, it suggests that when educators respond with empathy it can have a direct impact on the emotional wellbeing of a student.

Empathy is not lowering standards or making excuses but instead knowing when and how to respond to a student in a manner that supports learning (Sullivan et al., 2025). When educators respond empathetically to challenges such as missed deadlines or personal difficulties, they help students remain on track academically while advancing wellbeing and trust. Mbah (2025) notes that staff who demonstrate genuine care exhibit leadership that strengthens student relationships and institutional engagement. In the context of TUs, such empathetic practices are particularly important for students navigating critical transitions, including first-year students adjusting to higher education and final-year students preparing for professional life (Harvey and Stacey, 2024).  These interactions highlight that empathy is a vital component of supporting student success and engagement, rather than a secondary consideration.  By embedding empathy systematically within teaching and institutional practices, TUs can respond effectively to students’ emerging needs

When educators approach teaching with empathy, they recognise that each student is unique. Consequently, the educator brings various learning methods to the lecture hall to assist the students’ learning. For example, some students may be particularly strong with the practical elements of a module but struggle with theoretical concepts. Likewise, while others may have a strong understanding of theory, some may need extra support with practical skills. Accommodating these differences supports students with more diverse needs. This might involve providing a different way of teaching a topic for a module, such as using podcasts or videos by ways of teaching a new concept. It may also include offering each student personalised feedback that considers each student's individual progress and areas they need to improve on. This is particularly feasible in TUs due to smaller class sizes (OECD, 2022).  In doing so, empathy ensures that no student falls behind on assignments and assists creating an environment where students succeed. To illustrate how empathy can be implemented into practice, the following section presents case studies from SETU and TUS that signify the importance of empathy in TUs.

Case Studies

While much of the available scholarship on empathy in higher education focuses on pedagogical frameworks, it is also pertinent to examine how TUs apply empathy in practice. This focus directly informs the present study, which investigates how empathy can support students in Technological Universities in addressing their evolving academic and emotional needs. The following case study from the South-East Technological University provides insight into how a culture of empathy has been cultivated in their Product Design programmes (Dempsey and White, 2015). Referred to as a culture of Universal Empathy within the course programme, empathy was utilised as a guiding philosophy underpinning the programme structure and pedagogical approach rather than being treated as an isolated skill. The term Universal Empathy is described as a methodology employed in design education and research in SETU. From first-year, students of the programmes are introduced to the principles of Universal Design together with empathetic research methodologies. The encouragement of this human-centred perspective at the beginning of their academic journey exposes students to empathy embedded within the programme. As the students continue through their four years of the programme, the empathy-based philosophy is gradually reinforced, including their final year projects that require empathetic research and engagement with real world social and cultural issues. This case demonstrates that embedding empathy across the curriculum can actively shape students’ abilities to respond to complex social and cultural contexts. Thus, the TU conveys how empathy is treated as an applied practice within the learning environment.  

SETU’s example offers an actionable model for other TUs to employ within their programmes. The gradual exposure to empathy over four years assisted in building student confidence over time and allows for the students to get comfortable with potentially sensitive topics. This model is attractive to TUs as it does not involve the implementation of live industry projects, allowing students to work and engage directly with communities, developing important skills. While this demonstrates the potential of embedding empathy, its reliance on a single programme raises questions about scalability across faculties and disciplines. Moreover, it confirms that empathy belongs in TUs and proves that empathy enriches the student experience. It is important to note that the implementation of this philosophy requires willingness from all staff members involved with the programme.

The Technological University of the Shannon’s Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy 2022-2025 is a strong illustration of how empathy can be highlighted in university strategies. The strategy is broken into various Pillars, and through its Pillar 3, Pedagogies of Care and Positive Transition, TUS positions empathy and student wellbeing at the forefront of its teaching and learning. Within their goals for development and implementation, they anticipate providing all new and existing staff with induction on a pedagogy of care and positive transition, emphasising empathy, approachability, respectful interactions and awareness of student support systems.

This sentiment illustrates the commitment of the TU to supporting students’ emotional and social wellbeing as well as their academic goals, focusing on key transitional moments as students enter, progress and depart higher education. While TUS demonstrates a systemic approach to embedding empathy, the strategy remains aspirational until it is fully operationalised and consistently enacted across all departments. As highlighted in the excerpt, the commitment is supported by tangible action, such as staff inductions centred on empathy-based teaching practices and the awareness of student services. This example portrays an actionable model that other TUs can implement in their strategies for teaching and learning.

The discussed cases highlight the importance of empathy in supporting students within TUs, showcasing practical examples of how empathy can be integrated into institutional practices. While these examples offer actionable insights, they also reveal ongoing challenges when implementing such practices. Thus, the subsequent section identifies the key barriers TUs face when cultivating empathy.

Barriers to Empathy in Technological Universities

Creating space for such in the developing culture and operations of TUs presents several challenges. The current evolving nature of TUs poses a challenge when attempting to prioritise empathy. In particular, the structural and cultural challenges facing TUs have been well-documented (Dwyer and Seery, 2024; O’ Connor, 2024; Houghton, 2020). The following section examines some of the key challenges and barriers facing TUs in creating empathetic and supportive environments for their students.

TUs are currently in their ‘infancy’ and as evidenced by Dwyer and Seery (2024), this means that these institutions are in the early stages of defining their identity. As such, TUs are mergers of their former Institute of Technologies, resulting in institutes being faced with the difficult process of blending various missions. Houghton (2020) agrees with this, adding that these mergers have forced alliances between institutions that were previously competitors resulting in more complexities. Moreover, these institutes are faced with the further challenge of pressure from research agendas, contractual structures for academic staff and requirements from funding bodies. Houghton (2020) also discerns that TUs risk losing their accessible and vocational focus as a result of searching for new identities. These pressures added to the infancy of these new institutions make it difficult to prioritise empathy. There is an inherent risk that until TUs secure their identities as new institutions, embedding empathy as a core feature of the student experience remains problematic.

Conclusions

This study has shown that empathy is a key factor in supporting students within TUs. The study discussed how students are currently faced with various academic, social and personal challenges, calling for a more empathetic approach in TUs. The discussion illustrated how empathy in higher education can potentially address student’s emerging needs. In the context of Irish TUs, empathy bridges the gap between diverse student demographics and the academic demands of their programmes. In turn, this helps to create a more inclusive environment, assisting students build on their skills for when they graduate and begin work.

As TUs continue to shape their institutional identity, it is appropriate to ensure that policies and procedures reflect the importance of empathy as a necessary action in supporting their students. Through this period of change, it is critical that empathy is not treated as tokenism but instead is embedded into strategic planning. The focus of these strategies should be based on student wellbeing and an inclusive academic culture. In pursuit of this recommendation, it is timely for senior management and governing bodies to assess existing policies through an empathetic lens in order to ensure that the realities experienced by students are considered. If such policies and procedures are to be reviewed, the student voice is paramount to co-create potential frameworks. Given the current student needs, previously discussed in this study as well as the various challenges facing TUs this recommendation is particularly important.

The examples of SETU and TUS implementing empathy within their programmes and strategies conveys that doing so is possible. However, the barriers identified, such as the evolving nature of TUs signify the timely challenges to embedding empathy. Moreover, this study has particularly highlighted that a culture of empathy requires more than just an individual effort but rather the support of all staff members to prioritise student wellbeing while also achieving academic milestones. Nonetheless, there is a need for modules and programmes to employ flexibility, allowing educators to respond to the emerging needs of students without compromising academic standards.

Recommendations

Given the key role empathy has in TUs when supporting students, it is recommended that further research be undertaken to allow the voice of students to be heard. Further research regarding the role of empathy would be valuable for both academics and policy makers in TUs. It is suggested that a longitudinal study be employed to examine the effects of empathy-driven teaching pedagogies and support systems on students, specifically pertaining to academic success and retention. Tracking students from first year to final year could potentially offer rich insights into how empathy influences their academic progress and wellbeing while attending the TU. This research would benefit both academics and management in TUs, strengthening their capacity to adapt to future challenges they may face within higher education.

Finally, this discussion study suggests that empathy must move beyond policy into everyday teaching and institutional identity. McNutt (2020) insightfully captured this ethos: "We must cherish the learners that choose to join us - become a voice for their concerns, a beacon of hope that says, 'Yes' you can succeed, and I am here to assist and support you.'" This sentiment should guide TUs as they continue to shape their institutional identity. It invites educators to prioritise the person over the measurement, reinforcing the significance of building a supportive environment in TUs. 

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