Emotional intelligence training intervention among trainee teachers: a quasi-experimental study

Emotional factors and self-efficacy in the psychological well-being of trainee teachers

Introduction

The relationship among emotional intelligence, stress, and self-efficacy is a crucial factor in shaping psychological well-being. It has a significant impact on important areas such as health, academic and professional performance, and overall quality of life.

Methods

Using a hierarchical approach, this study aimed to identify, the specific predictors of psychological well-being, including emotional intelligence, stress, resilience, burnout, and self-efficacy, among higher education students pursuing a bachelor's degree in education. We also examined gender differences among these predictors. This study involved 338 higher education students pursuing a primary education teaching degree.

Results

The results obtained using the hierarchical regression analysis technique, indicated that the resilience measure, the burnout measure, and the factor of the teacher self-efficacy measure related to self-efficacy in coping with challenges and effectiveness in dealing with change in the educational context, significantly contributed to explaining psychological well-being in the total sample. Furthermore, the predictors of psychological well-being differed between male and female samples.

Discussion

Finally, these findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications for improving the training process of future teachers.

Emotional intelligence training for pre-service primary school teachers: a mixed methods research

Introduction

This research devises a training program for developing emotional intelligence focused on social and emotional learning and integrates it into teaching to improve pre-service teachers' emotional intelligence.

Methods

The study used a embedded mixed design. The quantitative dimension of the study used a controlled quasi-experimental design with pre-test/post-test, and the qualitative dimension used an evaluative case study design. The study was conducted with 73 prospective primary school teachers studying at the faculty of education of a Turkish state university. The study group was formed using purposive random sampling. The sample for the quantitative dimension was composed using probability random sampling, whereas the sample for the qualitative dimension was composed using purposive sampling. The program was administered to the experimental group for 10 weeks. Quantitative data were obtained using the Bar-On EQ-i, and qualitative data were obtained using a semi-structured interview questionnaire and participant diaries. Quantitative data were analyzed using normality analysis and one-factor analysis of covariance, whereas qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis.

Results

The results found the developed training program to be an effective approach to improve emotional intelligence among pre-service teachers. Moreover, data obtained from documentary sources and focus group interviews during and after the application of the program confirmed and adequately explained the quantitative results.

Discussion

In line with the purpose of the study, the findings obtained from the quantitative part of the study showed that the implementation of the training program for the development of emotional intelligence focused on SEL was an effective approach in increasing the emotional intelligence levels of the pre-service teachers in the experimental group. Similar research results also support that pre-service teachers' emotional intelligence can be improved with additional intervention practices without affecting their curriculum.

Latent profiles of emotion regulation among university students: links to repetitive negative thinking, internet addiction, and subjective wellbeing

Recent years have seen a deterioration in the mental health of university students and notable surge in the need for psychological support. Due to its links to psychopathology and high-risk behaviors, difficulty in emotion regulation frequently serves as a transdiagnostic dimension. This cross-sectional study used a person-centered analytical approach (latent profile analysis; LPA) to identify groups of Portuguese university students with similar profiles of emotion regulation difficulties (N = 261; Mage = 22.5 ± 1.2 years; n = 213 female) and describe how these groups differ in their presentation of repetitive negative thinking, internet addiction, and subjective wellbeing. The analyses identified four latent profiles: 14.5% of students showed global dysregulation (the Low Emotion Regulation Profile), 23% were moderately dysregulated with elevated problems in goal-directed behavior (the Moderate Emotion Regulation Profile), 8% showed specific difficulties with low emotional awareness and clarity (the Low Insight Profile), and 54.4% showed adaptive emotion regulation (the High Emotion Regulation Profile). As anticipated, the Low Emotion Regulation Profile had the lowest subjective wellbeing and the highest prevalence of repetitive negative thinking and internet addiction. Students with a Low Insight Profile also showed low subjective wellbeing, but less repetitive negative thinking compared to the Low Emotion Regulation Profile. Our findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving health and wellbeing among university students should consider each student's unique set of emotion regulation difficulties, rather than focusing on particular strategies. Further research may help determine whether emotion regulation profiles can serve as predictive indicators of varying mental health trajectories and subjective wellbeing in university students.

Does Social and Organizational Support Moderate Emotional Intelligence Training Effectiveness?

Given the dearth of systematic research and inconclusive results regarding the effectiveness of emotional intelligence (EI) training in adult training, this study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of EI training. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of EI training on learning and transfer outcomes, considering underexplored moderation of social and organizational support with experimental and longitudinal research design. Training transfer was measured through changes in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Participants self-assessed their OCB and CWB levels, while their supervisors also provided evaluations, allowing for separate analysis. Data, from a sample comprising 176 government officials, were collected across different periods and analyzed employing diverse analytical tools. The results revealed positive effects of EI training on training outcomes in both samples but positive moderation effect of social and organizational support on the effect of EI training on training outcomes was observed in the self-evaluation sample but not in the supervisor evaluation sample. The findings advance the debate on social exchange theory and organizational support theory by showing the boundary condition of their applicability. Furthermore, this study clarifies the impact of EI training on training outcomes by emphasizing the nuanced role of social and organizational support.

Revamping Teacher Training for Challenging Times: Teachers' Well-Being, Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, and Innovative Methodologies as Key Teaching Competencies

Purpose

This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a teacher training program to improve the quality and innovation of teaching practice. The program was designed to protect teachers' mental health and well-being, and increase their resilience and emotional competence while introducing innovative educational methodologies.

Participants and Methods

An experimental design using a control group and pre-/post-test empirical data was adopted to determine the effects of the 14-week teacher training program. The sample comprised 141 teachers with mean teaching experience of 13.1 years (SD = 6.84, 54.6% women).

Results

The program had a positive impact on teacher well-being, resilience, emotional competence, and self-efficacy, linked to the innovative and effective teacher methodologies included in the training.

Conclusion

More research is needed to expand on the findings and optimize teacher training implementation. The training provided in this study is evidence of the commitment to overcoming current educational framework challenges. The training contributes to teacher empowerment and provides knowledge, strategies, and resources for greater innovation and quality in the classroom - key to creating educational synergies for the emergence of stronger teachers in the face of adversity. We discuss future research directions for a better understanding of teacher training in the 21st century.

Can We "Brain-Train" Emotional Intelligence? A Narrative Review on the Features and Approaches Used in Ability EI Training Studies

Recent studies had demonstrated that specific emotional intelligence (EI) abilities (as measured using the MSCEIT) were related to better performance on cognitive tasks that involved emotional information but not on their non-emotional counterparts. These findings suggest that cognitive control and other executive functioning processes (e.g., working memory) contribute to EI abilities. A well-functioning EI ability is crucial for a number of everyday activities and life outcomes. However, the evidence for training ability EI remains vague as to how these improvements occur. The purpose of this narrative review was to synthesize findings from past EI training research, specifically focusing on their methodology. This was to identify key aspects of the interventions used, to determine the prototypical features between them, as well as to propose a compelling research agenda for future EI training studies. Based on the features found in these studies, we identified two possible approaches in which EI improvements occurred. The first approach was through increasing emotional knowledge and related competencies through teaching and practice. These features were found in the majority of training interventions using a workshop-style training format, reflections, role-plays, and practice with other participants. The second approach used brain-training principles to improve basic cognitive processes, such as executive control or emotional inhibition. Using a cognitive training approach to EI training can provide several advantages, such as allowing researchers to examine EI improvements using the theories of (1) transfer; (2) plasticity; and (3) process-specific changes.

Emotional intelligence in Greek teacher education: Findings from a short intervention

Emotional intelligence (EI) is widely known to be crucial for professional development in education, and it is a curricular component of Greek teacher education. Still, there is little information available on student teachers’ EI. The aim of this study was to explore whether student teachers’ trait EI can be developed through a two-week, EI-focused intervention. The study followed a quasi-experimental design with a mixed method approach, using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (Greek version) (N = 42) and reflective emotion diaries (N = 19). The participants were third-year undergraduate students studying primary education and teaching at the University of Crete. While the results from the statistical analysis showed no development of student teachers’ trait EI, the findings from the thematic analysis of the reflective emotion diaries suggested that this intervention was beneficial, facilitating emotion identification and potentially enabling emotion regulation through increased self-awareness. The study concludes with a discussion of its limitations and practical implications for future intervention studies on EI.

Teachers’ Psychological Characteristics: Do They Matter for Teacher Effectiveness, Teachers’ Well-being, Retention, and Interpersonal Relations? An Integrative Review

This integrative review aims to render a systematic account of the role that teachers’ psychological characteristics, such as their motivation and personality, play for critical outcomes in terms of teacher effectiveness, teachers’ well-being, retention, and positive interpersonal relations with multiple stakeholders (e.g., students, parents, principals, colleagues). We first summarize and evaluate the available evidence on relations between psychological characteristics and these outcomes derived in existing research syntheses (meta-analyses, systematic reviews). We then discuss implications of the findings regarding the eight identified psychological characteristics—self-efficacy, causal attributions, expectations, personality, enthusiasm, emotional intelligence, emotional labor, and mindfulness—for research and educational practice. In terms of practical recommendations, we focus on teacher selection and the design of future professional development activities as areas that particularly profit from a profound understanding of the relative importance of different psychological teacher characteristics in facilitating adaptive outcomes.

Academic Achievement and Failure in University Studies: Motivational and Emotional Factors

Universities are committed to offering quality education; however, a high rate of academic failure is often observed in the first year of studies. Considering the impact that motivation and emotional aspects can have on students’ commitment to study and therefore on their academic performance, achievement, and well-being, this study aims to identify the factors associated with academic success or failure in 1071 students entering the National Polytechnic School (Quito, Ecuador). The data were compiled from the existing computer records of the university with the permission of the responsible administrative staff. A predictive model has been used and a binary logistic regression analysis was carried out through the step-forward regression procedure based on the Wald statistic to analyze the predictive capacity of the variables related to emotional intelligence, motivational and self- regulated socio-cognitive skills, goal orientation, and prior academic achievement (measured by university entrance marks and through a knowledge test carried out at the beginning of the university academic year). To determine the cut-off point for the best discriminatory power of each of the variables, a Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis has been used. The results indicate that the variables that are significant in the prediction of academic success or failure are the two academic performance measures: the emotional attention variable, and the performance-approach goals and the motivational self-efficacy variable. Additionally, the highest predictive power is displayed by the prior academic performance measure obtained through the knowledge test conducted at the beginning of the university course.

Teacher Training Can Make a Difference: Tools to Overcome the Impact of COVID-19 on Primary Schools. An Experimental Study

Overcoming the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on primary schools is an emerging need and priority in the current social welfare system. Accordingly, this study presents an empirical learning package to support teachers, who perform frontline work in schools, in coping with stress, preventing burnout, improving their information and communications technology (ICT) competency, and introducing the principles of emotional intelligence (EI) in the classroom. The participants included 141 primary school teachers (M = 38.4 years, SD = 6.84; 54.6% women). They were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in the 14-week teacher training program, whereas the control group did not participate in the program or receive any other training during the intervention. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (time x group) was performed to identify the effects of the teacher training program. Teachers who participated in the training program evaluated it positively and showed significant differences compared to the control group in their abilities to cope with stress and avoid burnout, their ICT competency, and their introduction of EI in the classroom. Implications for supporting teachers are discussed.

Emotional Intelligence of Managers in Family Businesses in Slovakia

This scientific paper deals with the issue of the global level of emotional intelligence of managers in family enterprises. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance and positive impact of skills of managers in the form of emotional intelligence, which we consider as an important predictor of managerial work in family enterprises. The aim of this paper is also to suggest possibilities of further development of individual factors of emotional intelligence in managers. The object of the survey was the global level of emotional intelligence of managers according to Petrides. We determined the level of four factors (well-being, self-control, emotionality, and sociability) of emotional intelligence using TEIQue online questionnaires. When evaluating the research results, we used methods of descriptive statistics (arithmetic mean, median, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis) processed in the statistical program SPSS. In a sample of 286 randomly contacted family business managers, the results showed us that the global level of emotional intelligence of managers in family enterprises is medium–high. In the examined factors, we found some deficiencies in self-control and sociability in women’s results and some in self-control and emotionality in men’s results. Slovakia as a globalized country has undergone many changes, so enterprises have also changed their point of view of management. Nevertheless, enterprises’ investments in the development of personality of family enterprise managers are incomparably smaller than in other countries. We are convinced that these presented results will help managers in family enterprises realize that their better future is in streamlining managerial activities. Only then will managers have enough time to plan for the future, cope with unpredictable situations, and especially have time for their happiness and family life.

Can Academic Achievement in Primary School Students Be Improved Through Teacher Training on Emotional Intelligence as a Key Academic Competency?

BACKGROUND

The primary aim of the current study was to develop a multi-methodological teacher training program based on emotional intelligence (EI) as a key competency in order to improve student academic achievement based on two methods: face-to-face instruction and game-based e-learning instruction.

METHODS

Seventy-four primary education teachers and their 2069 students were randomly assigned to three groups. The first group of teachers (n = 23) were trained to use a face-to-face method. The objective of the training was that the teachers would be able to implement EI into their teaching to improve academic achievement in their students (n = 645) using face-to-face instruction. For the second group (n = 28), the teachers were trained to use an e-learning gamification method. Similar to the first group, the objective of the training was that the teachers would be able to implement EI into their teaching to improve academic achievement in their students (n = 758) using e-learning gamification instruction. The third group of teachers (n = 23) served as the controls and did not receive any special training, nor did they implement EI into their teaching (n = 666).

RESULTS

Implementation of EI into classroom teaching effectively improved academic achievement in primary school students using both methods. However, there was a greater increase in academic achievement and higher teacher satisfaction in the game-based e-learning group. No significant differences in student achievement were observed in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Emotional intelligence as a key academic competency.

Relation between perceived emotional intelligence and social factors in the educational context of Brazilian adolescents

BACKGROUND

The study of emotional intelligence (EI), demographics, and family factors of adolescent high school students allows us to appraise adolescents' skills for their academic and vocational training. The objectives of the study focus on whether there is any relationship between context variables such as gender, age of parents, or work activity, and self-perception of emotional intelligence.

METHODOLOGY

This study sampled 11.370 participants, aged between 12 and 17 years, in the 7th and 9th years of fundamental education, and the 3rd year of upper secondary education. Data from this study comes from students enrolled in the SESI schools of the City of Sao Paulo. To examine the data, we applied the TMMS-24 test to statistical analysis where gender relates to the three dimensions of perceived emotional intelligence (PEI): attention, clarity, and emotional repair.

RESULTS

The results obtained allow us to show how teenagers are perceived with respect to three dimensions: attention, clarity and emotional repair, and thereby extrapolating the need to continue the promotion of emotional education in schools.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the application of the Brazilian version of the TMMS-24 in training programs in PEI must consider a whole series of sociocultural aspects. These aspects should start with a series of initial measures that allow for the perceptions of participants to be observed, and to extend onward to influence the willingness of the beneficiaries to participate in this type of intervention. Provided the intervention is anchored in a solid theoretical base, and executed under a rigorous study, its efficacy can be verified.