The Impact of Empathy-Centered Team-Based Practice Activities on Communication Competence: A Case Study of the “Service Communication” Course at a Korean Community College

This study investigates the impact of empathy-centered team-based activities on students’ communication competence in a general education course titled Service Communicationat a junior college. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research incorporated pre- and post-course surveys, reflective reports, and open-ended responses. Quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant improvements in overall communication competence, as well as in specific subdomains such as active listening and empathy, emotional regulation, logical delivery, nonverbal expression, and feedback skills. Qualitative findings indicated that students developed a heightened awareness of empathetic attitudes and self-expression, while also recognizing the relevance and transferability of these skills to real-life situations. In particular, repeated practice and small group sharing activities were shown to be especially effective in enhancing emotional expression and empathetic communication. These findings empirically validate the effectiveness of practice-based instruction and offer meaningful implications for the instructional design of similar communication-oriented general education programs.