Conduct one-on-one empathy interviews with open-ended questions to uncover root causes of system challenges¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Empathy interviews are "one-on-one conversations that use open-ended questions tailored to elicit input and personal stories about a topic." They offer deeper questioning than typical engagement activities and allow leaders to "more deeply understand root causes of system challenges," which can result in refocusing priorities and designing equitable solutions.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Questions must be open-ended and tailored to elicit personal stories rather than surface-level responses

Constraints¶

• Positioned as going beyond the surface where many data collection and engagement activities end

Target Learners¶

• Students, caregivers, staff, and community partners in K-12 systems

Target Learning Goals¶

• Understanding partner experiences deeply
• identifying root causes of inequities and system challenges

Affordances¶

• Five Considerations Engaging Educational Partners

Related Strategies¶

• Using Empathy Interviews for Family Engagement
• Conduct empathy interviews as story-based conversations in comfortable, student-chosen settings
• Conduct empathy interviews to understand user experiences with technology
• Conduct focus groups to hear firsthand from multiple partners and build shared understanding beyond the numbers
• Hold listening sessions in accessible locations where staff simply listen to educational partners
• Use the Start, Stop, Continue process to surface and act on promising practices with educational partners
• Use empathy interviews as a natural, informal conversation to uncover students' experiences, emotions, and unmet needs in mathematics learning

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Ojetunde, T., & Chavez, A. (2024). Centering the experiences and perspectives of educational partners: Five considerations for schools and districts. California Center for School Climate at WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED655789