Bitesize Research: Emotional Intelligence and Academic Attainment

This week, I wanted to share with you some work done on the relationships between ‘emotional intelligence’ and academic attainment. This work is an early meta analysis looking at over 150 existing studies on this topic, and has been conducted by the University of Sydney in collaboration with the University of Oxford.

Objectives: To understand the role of ‘emotional intelligence’ in academic attainment.

Summary:  

• There are lots of definitions of ‘emotional intelligence.’ Some definitions are around the understanding and management of one’s own and others’ emotions. Some definitions are also inclusive of character traits such as optimism and intrinsic motivation. This study looked at papers that incorporated both of these definitions.

• Emotional intelligence in general was found to account for 4% of the difference between students’ achievement. Specifically, however, the ability to understand emotions (a component part of emotional intelligence) explains about 12% of the difference. Personal emotion management skills accounted for 7% of the difference. 

• Three reasons for this correlation have been posited by the authors of the study:

• Emotionally intelligent students can better regulate their ‘academic emotions’ - namely, those that accompany academic performance (e.g. stress, anxiety, disappointment, frustration etc.) 

• Emotionally intelligent students can form better relationships with their teachers

• Many non-technical academic subjects require an understanding of human emotions and society as integral to the subject matter (e.g. in analysing a play, or in analysing the causes of the rise of a dictatorship)

How does this impact me and my practice?: Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are: 

 

• Which students’ struggle with emotional intelligence? How do I know?

• This study suggests that enhancing students’ emotional intelligence could also support academic performance. What strategies or activities could be useful to help develop this?

If anyone would like to discuss this further with Jaya - please comment below! I’d be delighted to open up these discussions and conversations.