Emotional intelligence is more important than the learning environment in improving critical thinking

Relationship of emotional intelligence and capability of answering higher-order knowledge questions in physiology among first-year medical students

Emotional intelligence (EI) has a positive correlation with the academic performance of medical students. However, why there is a positive correlation needs further exploration. We hypothesized that the capability of answering higher-order knowledge questions (HOQs) is higher in students with higher EI. Hence, we assessed the correlation between EI and the capability of medical students to answer HOQs in physiology. First-year undergraduate medical students (n = 124) from an Indian medical college were recruited as a convenient sample. EI was assessed by the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), a 33-item self-administered validated questionnaire. A specially designed objective examination with 15 lower-order and 15 higher-order multiple-choice questions was conducted. The correlation between the examination score and the EI score was tested by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Data from 92 students (33 females and 59 males) with a mean age of 20.14 ± 1.87 yr were analyzed. Overall, students got a percentage of 53.37 ± 14.07 in the examination, with 24.46 ± 9.1 in HOQs and 28.91 ± 6.58 in lower-order knowledge questions (LOQs). They had a mean score of 109.58 ± 46.2 in SSEIT. The correlation coefficient of SSEIT score with total marks was r = 0.29 (P = 0.0037), with HOQs was r = 0.41 (P < 0.0001), and with LOQs was r = 0.14 (P = 0.19). Hence, there is a positive correlation between EI and the capability of medical students to answer HOQs in physiology. This study may be the foundation for further exploration of the capability of answering HOQs in other subjects.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study assessed the correlation between emotional intelligence (EI) and the capability of medical students to answer higher-order knowledge questions (HOQs) in the specific context of physiology. The finding reveals one of the multifaceted dimensions of the relationship between EI and academic performance. This novel perspective opens the door to further investigations to explore the relationship in other subjects and other dimensions to understand why students with higher EI have higher academic performance.

Evaluating Critical Thinking Disposition, Emotional Intelligence, and Learning Environment of Nursing Students: A Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic may have inhibited the development of critical thinking and emotional intelligence of nursing students due to the transition from traditional to online learning environments.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to evaluate the development of critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and the perceived learning environment of nursing students during the pandemic from their first to second year.

METHODS

This was a longitudinal study of 82 nursing students from 2 universities in Greece. We measured critical thinking disposition, emotional intelligence, and the students' perceptions of the learning environment in 2 phases, separated by a 10 month interval, before and during the pandemic.

RESULTS

Students had moderate-to-high critical thinking and emotional intelligence and perceived the learning environment as more positive than negative in both phases. However, there were no statistically significant changes between phases in critical thinking disposition (mean score 44.3 vs 45.1, p = .224) and emotional intelligence (mean score 5.05 vs 5.06, p = .950) between the 2 phases. Nevertheless, students rated the online learning environment (phase 2) higher than the traditional (mean score 137.8 vs 132.2, p = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

Critical thinking and emotional intelligence did not change, but students favored the online learning environment over the traditional. These findings suggest that nurse educators persevered, adapted, and maintained the quality of the learning environment despite the pandemic. Moreover, the utilization of an online learning environment may have led to enhanced enjoyment and engagement for students, which could potentially result in improved learning outcomes.

Differences in Emotional Intelligence Between Male and Female Nursing Students From a Population With a Low Percentage of Male Nurses

Introduction

Poland has the largest shortage of nurses in Europe, as well as a low percentage of male nurses. Information relating to emotional intelligence has been explored to determine whether it predicts the characteristics and outcomes of qualified health professionals during their academic training and practice.

Objective

This study aimed to measure differences in emotional intelligence between male and female nursing students.

Participants and methods

In this cross-sectional study, emotional intelligence was measured using the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) in 21 male and 127 female nursing students from John Paul II University in Biała Podlaska, Poland.

Results

The raw overall scores of emotional intelligence in male and female students were similar. Differences were observed after the conversion of raw scores into normalized (sten) scores. High normalized scores (sten 8-10) of emotional intelligence had every third of male students and only 14.2% of female students. The lowest sten values of emotional intelligence in male and female students were 3 and 1, respectively. Less than 10% of male students and over 20% of female students had low normalized scores (sten ≤3) for emotional intelligence and an isolated ability to recognize emotions (factor II).

Conclusions

The emotional intelligence expressed in normalized scores was higher in male nursing students than in female nursing students. This evidence may suggest that, at the stage of choosing a field of study, Polish male nursing students self-select for the nursing profession, at least in terms of emotional intelligence. The influx of men into the profession should be considered as a positive trend.