Effects of digital storytelling on social awareness and empathy among in-service teachers in private schools of Pakistan

Abstract

Teachers’ social awareness and empathy play an important role in creating supportive learning environments. However, limited evidence exists on how digital storytelling can strengthen these competencies among in-service teachers. This study examined the effect of the digital storytelling method on the social awareness and empathy of in-service teachers. The study followed a quasi-experimental research design to investigate a group of 50 in-service private school teachers in Pakistan who were equally distributed between experimental and control groups. The traditional lecture method was followed for the control group, while the Digital Story Method (DST) was employed for the experimental group. The intervention lasted four weeks, with five training days per week. Pre- and post-tests were administered. The findings showed that teachers who participated in the digital storytelling intervention demonstrated significantly higher levels of social awareness and empathy than those in the control group. The findings also indicated that digital storytelling encouraged reflection, collaboration, and a better understanding of diverse perspectives during teacher training. The findings suggest that DST may be a useful approach for supporting teachers’ social awareness, empathy, and professional development.