The Effect of the Empathy Maps Strategy on the Development of Written Expression Skills among Second-Year Intermediate Female Students in Arabic Language

Abstract

the present study aimed to identify the effect of the Empathy Maps Strategy on developing writing expression skills among second intermediate school female students in the Arabic language subject. To achieve the objective of the study, the researcher adopted a quasi-experimental approach using a pre-test and post-test design with two equivalent groups.

The study sample consisted of (83) second intermediate female students from Al-Muhaj School, affiliated with the General Directorate of Education / Al-Rusafa Second, Baghdad, for the academic year (2026–2027). The experimental group included (41) students who were taught using the Empathy Maps Strategy, whereas the control group included (42) students who were taught using the traditional teaching method. The two groups were equivalent in a number of variables. A writing expression skills test was prepared by the researcher, and its validity and reliability were verified before implementation.

After the completion of the experiment, the collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The findings revealed statistically significant differences at the (0.05) level in favor of the experimental group. Accordingly, the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternative hypothesis was accepted, indicating the effectiveness of the Empathy Maps Strategy in developing writing expression skills among second intermediate female students.

Based on the findings, the researcher recommended adopting the Empathy Maps Strategy in teaching writing expression and organizing training programs for Arabic language teachers on its application. The researcher also suggested conducting further studies on different educational stages and variables.