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Choosing a Compassionate Approach

We want to believe that we are caring people. But what does it mean to make compassion a central part of how you teach? 

Choosing a compassionate approach to teaching is an intentional commitment to centering students as people with complex lives. It calls us to pay attention to students’ affective experiences in the classroom, and to adopt practices of relational care in our interactions with them. A compassionate approach also maintains a critical stance toward educational structures that marginalize learners through arbitrary or uncompromising rules and expectations. A compassionate approach humanizes university learning and culture by moving beyond transactional or purely cognitive models through student-centered and care-oriented practices.

Core elements and principles

Compassion as a relational and ethical stance

Compassion in higher education emphasizes that students are multifaceted individuals with differing levels of responsibilities and capacities. We may not know all the details of what students carry in their lives; therefore, we commit to creating learning environments grounded in professionalism, respect, and thoughtful engagement. In doing so, we affirm that academic learning is strengthened when we engage our students with a genuine presence. 

Compassion as critical reflection on practice

Research on critical pedagogy (Hao 2011) shows that a compassionate approach to teaching begins when we examine and improve institutional and classroom practices that may hinder student success, while remaining mindful of how our own actions and attitudes matter for developing students’ resilience and responsibility in their daily work.  

Compassion as shared purpose

Compassion can serve as a unifying focus across departments and colleges. When adopted as a guiding principle, a compassionate approach encourages us to think systemically about the learning environments we offer to our students. How does your department or college as a whole show that it values well‑being and meaningful connections? In the post‑pandemic landscape where higher education continues to adapt and evolve, compassion offers a steady foundation for strengthening trust, clarity, and a shared sense of purpose across campus communities.

Compassion acknowledges the varieties of student experience 

A compassionate approach recognizes that effective learning involves more than intellectual mastery alone. Students bring a range of experiences, motivations, and personal perspectives to your classroom, and this matters for how they will engage with your course's content.  Recognizing this presents new opportunities for reflection, practical application, and thoughtful engagement with course material. By connecting academic content to real‑world contexts and encouraging students to think deeply about their experiences, you support more durable understanding and stronger academic growth.

Compassion is responsive

Higher ed faces multiple pressures related to efficiency, metrics, and increasing administrative demands. These pressures can unintentionally reduce the richness of the learning experience and leave you and your students feeling disconnected from the deeper purpose of education. A compassionate approach offers a counterbalance by restoring attention to the human elements of learning, such as clear communication, supportive relationships, and genuine engagement. This approach helps reintroduce meaning and connection into academic life, reinforcing why universities exist in the first place.

The compassionate approach and case‑based teaching

Case‑based teaching provides a practical pathway for applying compassionate principles by presenting students with complex situations that mirror the realities they will face in professional, community, and organizational settings. Learning is strengthened when students find purpose and relevance for their lives. Case‑based activities are a natural extension of a compassionate approach because it enables students to apply theories, evaluate decisions, and reflect on human implications in ways that deepen their understanding. By working through scenarios from industry, community outreach, nonprofit leadership, or interdisciplinary teamwork, students discover how to navigate challenges thoughtfully and develop practical judgment grounded in awareness, responsibility, and context. 

Key points to remember

A compassionate approach emphasizes:

  • Listening to students’ experiences so teachers can better connect theory to real‑life contexts. 
  • Designing classes that support students’ emotional and academic well‑being.
  • Recognizing that learning is relational, meaning students learn better when they feel seen, respected, and supported.
  • Creating inclusive, student‑centered classrooms so students can engage deeply with ideas and reflect on how theories connect to their lives.

Take a Deeper Dive into Compassionate Education 

Compassionate STEM at Virginia Tech 

The Compassionate STEM program aims to create a dedicated community of faculty committed to systematically creating a compassionate learning environment and integrating compassion into undergraduate STEM curricula through engaged pedagogical approaches. 

Learn More

Articles

Andrew, M. B., Dobbins, K., Pollard, E., Mueller, B., & Middleton, R. (2023). The role of compassion in higher education practices. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 20(3), 1-12.

Hao, R. N. (2011). Critical compassionate pedagogy and the teacher's role in first‐generation student success. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2011(127), 91-98.

Killingback, C., Tomlinson, A., & Stern, J. (2025). Compassionate pedagogy in higher education: A scoping review. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 22(1), 1-32.

Laucella, L. E. (2019). Teaching the whole person through a pedagogy of compassion.

Waddington, K., & Bonaparte, B. (2024). Developing Pedagogies of Compassion in Higher Education. A Practice First Approach.

Review

Mazhar, A. (2025) Developing Pedagogies of Compassion in Higher Education: A Practice First Approach, British Journal of Educational Studies, 73:4, 563-565, DOI: 10.1080/00071005.2025.2502263

Websites

Ahern, S. (2019). Compassionate Pedagogy in Practice | UCL Digital Education team blog. Blogs.ucl.ac.uk. https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/digital-education/2019/07/03/compassionate-pedagogy-in-practice/

Baylor University (n.d.). Compassionate Teaching. (2023). Baylor.edu. https://atl.web.baylor.edu/teaching-guides/considering-students/compassionate-teaching