Abstract
Effective communication skills are increasingly important for scientists, yet STEM students typically receive minimal formal training to clearly convey research to non-specialist audiences. Many early career scientists struggle with translating complex scientific ideas into accessible language, impacting public understanding of science. This qualitative case study investigated the influence of empathy-based applied theatrical improvisation (ATI) training on empathy, agency, and communication among STEM graduate students preparing for the Three Minute Thesis competition. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and an interpretivist research paradigm, this study employed qualitative methods, including pre-workshop surveys, reflective journals, interviews, observations, and thematic analysis. Participants engaged in interactive ATI exercises designed to improve structured presentations, storytelling, perspective-taking, and audience-centered delivery. Findings indicate ATI training contributed positively to participants’ empathy development, particularly their ability to recognize and respond to audience perspectives. Participants demonstrated increased awareness of audience comprehension, leading to deliberate shifts from technical jargon toward accessible language and relatable analogies. Exercises such as “Reverse Role Play” enabled participants to notice gaps in audience understanding, prompting adjustments in presentation structure and delivery. Participants reported notable growth in their sense of agency, evident in improved confidence, control, and adaptability in public speaking contexts. Furthermore, results suggest ATI training effectively supports multilingual participants in overcoming language-related communication challenges. Findings indicate ATI training meaningfully contributed to the development of empathy, agency, and adaptive presentation strategies among STEM graduate students. Structured, interactive ATI exercises facilitated participants' ability to communicate scientific research to diverse audiences clearly and effectively. Results support incorporating structured ATI programs into graduate curricula to improve empathy, linguistic adaptability, and audience-centered approaches in science communication training.Keywords: Science communication, applied theatrical improvisation, empathy, agency, STEM graduate students