The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement among Undergraduate Students in Kazakhstan.
The Case of Two Universities.
Lyudmila Fillipova
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science
in
Educational Leadership
Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education June, 2019
Word Count: 18623
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Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to people who expose support and care throughout my writing process. First of all I wish to thank NUGSE faculty members and instructors for being approachable and encouraging to me while I was polishing my thesis study.
Especially, I am very grateful to my supervisor, Darkhan Bilyalov, PhD for his diligent guidance and clear instructions as well as inspiration to do a quantitative research.
Thanks to Professor Bilyalov, I could learn how to work with SPSS software effectively.
Also I am very thankful to my parents for their love and warmth so that I can feel their care through the distance. My profound gratitude goes to my mom who cultivated the passion for learning in me. All my achievements are always dedicated to them.
I would like to thank my closest friends who motivated and cheered me up during my challenges along the way. Also I was happy to study with such smart and creative people as my group-mates are.
Abstract
Academic achievement and performance of students in higher education settings is an integral part of learning process, however nowadays, the soft skills of future specialists are not of small importance as well. Although, the Emotional Intelligence had been recognized as an independent notion in the second part of twentieth century, still most experts in the spheres of psychology, education and management find this area rather ambiguous. There were several studies which had been focused on the relationship
between emotional intelligence and academic achievement before. However, few research studies in this sphere had been conducted in Kazakhstan. Thus, there is a need for higher education institutions to identify the significance of EI elements for students’ success during the learning process. The study focuses on the link between emotional intelligence and academic achievement among the Autonomous University and the Regional University undergraduate students. The results of the study would contribute to higher education system in Kazakhstan, as administrators, managers and faculty members may be provided with the current emotional intelligence level of undergraduate students from two
institutions. Furthermore, other higher education institutions may use the findings of the current research study in order to facilitate students’ emotional intelligence level inserting related activities in their curricula.
This study employs a cross-sectional correlational design (Field, 2009; Mujis 2004;
Szafran, 2011). The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement among undergraduate students. To define the level of emotional intelligence, the ESAP (Emotional Skills Assessment Process) questionnaire was employed to collect data, so that the research study was focused on four main competencies: interpersonal, leadership, self-management and intrapersonal. To obtain the information about students’ academic achievement, self-
reported percentage had been used. The data had been collected in two Kazakhstani universities. The sample consisted of 239 undergraduate students, 141 and 98
undergraduate from two universities (Regional and Autonomous) respectively. The sample was recruited on non-probability basis, due to voluntary participation in the research study.
During the research study descriptive, inferential and correlational statistical analyses had been employed. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) had been used to make the statistical analyses of the collected data. The study presents the information on the general emotional intelligence level of undergraduate students of two universities.
Similarly, the research study demonstrates the three levels of academic achievement of students: high-, average- and lower-achieving and their correlation with emotional intelligence competencies. Furthermore, the study explores students’ emotional intelligence level differentiated by their age and gender.
Аңдатпа
Қазақстандық бакалавриат студенттерінің эмоционалды зияты мен академиялық жетістіктері арасындағы байланыс. Екі университеттің жағдайы.
Жоғары оқу орындарындағы студенттердің академиялық жетістіктері мен академиялық үлгерімі оқу процесінің ажырамас бөлігі болып табылады, бірақ қазіргі кезде «икемді дағдылар» болашақ мамандар үшін де маңызды. Алайда ХХ ғасырдың екінші жартысында «Эмоциялық интеллект» деген тәуелсіз ұғым болып танылған, дегенмен психология, білім беру және басқару саласындағы сарапшылардың көбі осы саланы бірқалыпты деп санайды. Бұрындары эмоционалды интеллект пен
академиялық көрсеткіштер арасындағы қарым-қатынас бойынша бірнеше зерттеулер жүргізілген. Алайда, Қазақстанда осы саладағы зерттеулер аз жүргізілді. Сол себепті, жоғары оқу орындары студенттердің оқу барысында жетістіктерге жетулері үшін эмоциялық интеллект элементтерінің маңызды екендігін ескеру керек. Бұл зерттеу автономдық және аймақтық жоғары оқу орындарындағы студенттер арасында эмоционалды интеллект пен академиялық жетістіктер арасындағы қарым-қатынасқа бағытталған. Зерттеудің нәтижелері Қазақстандағы жоғары білім жүйесіне ықпал етуі мүмкін, себебі әкімшіліктегілер, менеджерлер және мұғалімдер екі мекемедегі студенттердің эмоционалдық зияткерлік деңгейін білуі мүмкін. Сонымен қатар, басқа жоғары оқу орындары осы зерттеудің нәтижелерін оқушылардың эмоциялық ақыл-ойының деңгейін арттыру мақсатында өздерінің оқу жоспарларында тиісті іс- әрекеттерді қоса пайдалана алады.
Бұл зерттеуде тоғыспалы корреляциялық дизайн қолданылады (Mujis 2004, Field, 2009, Szafran, 2011). Зерттеудің мақсаты - студенттер арасында эмоционалды интеллект пен оқу үлгерімі жағынан өзара байланысты анықтау. Эмоциялық
интеллект деңгейін анықтау үшін ESAP (Эмоционалдық дағдыларды бағалау
процесі) сауалнамасы арқылы деректер жинастырылды, сондықтан зерттеу төрт негізгі құзыреттілікті көздейді: тұлғааралыққа, көшбасшылыққа, өзін-өзі басқаруға және адаммен қарым-қатынасқа бағытталған. Студенттердің оқу үлгерімі туралы ақпарат алу үшін студенттердің оқу үлгерімінің шамамен пайыздық мөлшерлемесі пайдаланылды. Бұл деректер Қазақстанның екі жоғары оқу орындарында жиналды.
Таңдау 239 студенттен тұрды, тиісінше, екі жоғары оқу орындарынан (аймақтық және автономды) 141 және 98 студенттен. Қатысушылар ерікті қатысудың детерминистік үлгісі негізінде таңдалған. Статистикалық пакет (SPSS) жиналған деректерді статистикалық талдау үшін пайдаланылды. Зерттеу барысында деректерді талдау сипаттаушы, дедуктивтік және корреляциялық статистикалық деректер
арқылы орындалды. Зерттеуде екі университеттегі студенттердің эмоционалдық интеллекттерінің жалпы деңгейі туралы ақпарат береді. Сонымен қатар, зерттеу студенттердің жетістіктерінің үш деңгейін: жоғары, орташа және төменгі деңгейін көрсетеді және олардың эмоциялық интеллектің құзыреттілігіне қатысты екенін көрсетеді. Бұдан басқа, зерттеу жұмыстары қатысушылардың жас ерекшелігіне және жынысына қарай студенттердің эмоциялық зияткерлік деңгейінің әсерін зерттейді.
Аннотация
Взаимосвязь эмоционального интеллекта и академических достижений среди студентов бакалавриата в Казахстане. Случай двух университетов.
Академическая успеваемость и успеваемость студентов в высших учебных заведениях является неотъемлемой частью учебного процесса, однако в настоящее время “гибкие навыки” также важны для будущих специалистов. Хотя
“Эмоциональный Интеллект” был признан независимым понятием во второй половине двадцатого века, тем не менее, большинство экспертов в области психологии, образования и управления считают эту область довольно
неоднозначной. Ранее было проведено несколько исследований, посвященных взаимосвязи между эмоциональным интеллектом и академической успеваемостью.
Однако мало исследований в этой области было проведено в Казахстане. Таким образом, вузам необходимо определить значимость элементов эмоционального интеллекта для успеха студентов в процессе обучения. Данное исследование сосредоточено на связи между эмоциональным интеллектом и академическими достижениями среди студентов автономного и регионального университетов.
Результаты исследования могут внести вклад в систему высшего образования в Казахстане, поскольку администраторы, менеджеры и преподаватели могут быть осведомлены об уровне эмоционального интеллекта студентов из двух учреждений.
Другие высшие учебные заведения могут использовать результаты данного исследования, чтобы повысить уровень эмоционального интеллекта студентов, включив в свои учебные программы, соответствующие мероприятия.
В этом исследовании используется перекрестный корреляционный дизайн (Field, 2009; Mujis 2004; Szafran, 2011). Целью исследования было выявить
взаимосвязь между эмоциональным интеллектом и успеваемостью среди студентов.
Чтобы определить уровень эмоционального интеллекта, для сбора данных
использовалась анкета ESAP (Процесс Оценки Эмоциональных Навыков), поэтому исследование было сосредоточено на четырех основных компетенциях:
межличностные, лидерские, самоуправляющие и внутриличностные. Для получения информации об академической успеваемости студентов использовались примерные процентные баллы студентов. Данные были собраны в двух казахстанских
университетах. Выборка участников состояла из 239 студентов, 141 и 98 студентов из двух университетов (регионального и автономного) соответственно. Участники исследования были отобраны на основе детерминированной выборки, по
добровольному участию. Статистический пакет (SPSS) был использован для
статистического анализа собранных данных. В ходе исследования, анализы данных были проведены с помощью описательной, дедуктивной и корреляционной
статистики. В исследовании представлена информация об общем уровне
эмоционального интеллекта студентов двух университетов. Аналогичным образом, исследование демонстрирует три уровня успеваемости учащихся: высокий, средний и более низкий и их взаимосвязь с компетенциями эмоционального интеллекта.
Данное исследование также определяет влияние возраста и пола на уровень эмоционального интеллекта учащихся.
Table of Contents
Author Agreement ...ii
Declaration of Authorship...iv
Ethical Approval ...v
Acknowledgements...vii
Abstract...viii
Table of Contents ...xiv
List of Tables ...xix
List of Figures ...xx
Introduction ...1
Problem statement ...2
Purpose of the Study...3
Research Questions ...4
Significance of the Study ...4
Definitions of the Concepts...4
Benefits of the Study ...5
Literature Review...7
Appearance of the Emotional Intelligence Term ...7
The theory of multiple intelligences...7
Social intelligence. ...8
Emotional intelligence and “mindfulness”...8
Emotional intelligence term. ...9
Models of Emotional Intelligence ...10
Emotional intelligence ability-based model. ...10
Emotional intelligence competence model...11
Mixed models. ...12
Competencies of Emotional intelligence...12
Epstein’s constructive thinking theory. ...12
Emotional skills assessment process. ...13
Main emotional intelligence competencies. ...14
Emotional intelligence competencies and academic achievement...16
The Influence of Age and Gender on Emotional Intelligence...19
Emotional intelligence and gender. ...19
Emotional intelligence and age. ...20
Gap in the Literature...20
Methodology ...22
Research Questions ...22
Problem and Purposes Overview ...23
Research Design ...24
Population and Sample...25
Research site...26
Sampling strategy. ...26
Data Collection Procedures ...27
Instruments ...28
Emotional intelligence questionnaire. ...28
Reliability of the instrument...30
Academic achievement measurement. ...31
Data Analysis ...31
Ethical Considerations...32
Findings...34
Emotional Intelligence Level of Two Universities ...35
Description of the sample...36
Descriptive analysis of student emotional intelligence level of two universities based on gender, age, year of study and academic achievement measurement. ...38
The relationship between emotional intelligence competencies and academic achievement...41
Inferential Analysis of Emotional Intelligence Level ...43
Difference of emotional intelligence level across two universities...43
Emotional intelligence level differentiated by gender. ...44
Emotional intelligence level differentiated by age...46
The Association between Academic Achievement and Emotional Intelligence Competencies ...47
The Impact of Gender, Age and Emotional Intelligence Level on Students’ Academic Achievement ...48
Discussion ...51
Emotional Intelligence Level of Two Universities ...52
Emotional Intelligence Level Differentiated by Gender ...54
Emotional Intelligence Level Differentiated by Age ...56
The Association between Academic Achievement and Emotional Intelligence Competencies ...58
The Impact of Gender, Age and Emotional Intelligence Level on Students’ Academic Achievement ...61
Conclusion...64
Summary of Main Findings...64
How do students at two Kazakhstani universities differ in their emotional intelligence level?...64
How does emotional intelligence level differ based on gender?...64
How does emotional intelligence level differ based on age? ...65
To what extent does student emotional intelligence level correlate with academic achievement levels? ...65
To what extent do age and gender influence the relationship between student academic achievement and emotional intelligence? ...66
Limitations...66
Implications of the Study ...67
Recommendations for Further Research ...68
Sample characteristics. ...68
Academic achievement measurement. ...69
Emotional intelligence questionnaire. ...69
Final Reflection ...69
References ...71
Appendices...78
Appendix A: Informed consent ...78
Appendix B: EMOTIONAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT PROCESS (ESAP)...81
List of Tables
Table 1. Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient of Two Universities ...31 Table 2. Frequencies and Percentage of Participants...37 Table 3. Mean Scores of EI Competencies by Categories ...41 Table 4. A Pearson Product-moment Correlations between Academic Achievement and EI competencies ...42 Table 5. Independent-Samples T-Test for EI Competencies Differentiated by Two
Universities ...43 Table 6. Independent-Samples T-Test for EI Competencies Differentiated by Gender ...45 Table 7. Independent-Samples T-Test for EI Competencies Differentiated by Age ...46 Table 8. One-Way between Groups ANOVA for Emotional Intelligence by Academic Achievement Levels...48 Table 9. Hierarchical Regressions of Academic Achievement onto EI, Age and Gender...48 Table 10. Main Hypotheses...62
List of Figures
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework...12 Figure 2. Independent-Samples T-Test for EI Competencies Differentiated by Two
Universities ...44 Figure 3. Independent-Samples T-Test for EI Competencies Differentiated by Gender...45 Figure 4. One-Way between Groups ANOVA for Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement Levels...60
The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement among Undergraduate Students in Kazakhstan. The Case of Two Universities.
Introduction
Academic achievement and performance of students in higher education settings is an integral part of the learning process; however, nowadays, the soft skills of future specialists are not of small importance as well. Back in 1995, intelligence quotient (IQ) was the preeminent indicator of a person’s success in many spheres of life (Goleman, 1996, p.IX). Currently, the success of a person is not merely restricted to his or her
cognitive abilities, but also such a notion as Emotional Intelligence or Emotional Quotient (EQ) has to be considered. Emotional intelligence (EI) abilities are of demand for
companies. Frequently, “employers of new college graduates emphasize the importance of
“soft skills,” they are substantially less satisfied with graduates’ interpersonal and emotional competencies than with their conceptual and analytical skills” (as cited in Landau & Meirovich, 2011, p.89). Similarly, recent studies in this field emphasize the fact that EI abilities and skills are considered to be learned and developed (Freshman &
Rubino, 2002, p.2).
Emotional Intelligence notion has been popularized by Goleman (1995) in his book
“Emotional Intelligence – Why it can matter more than IQ”, though “Salovey and Mayer (1990) first used the expression “emotional intelligence” and described it in terms of four domains: knowing and handling one’s own and other’s emotions” (as cited by Boyatzis, Goleman, & Rhee, 2000, p. 2). Hence, only recently, this notion has been viewed within the educational sphere and particularly in connection with cognitive abilities and IQ (intelligence quotient). Furthermore, EI abilities and competencies may be significant for identifying specialists’ leadership skills. For instance, Goleman suggests that graduated universities, future specialists have already got analytical and technical skills, whereas EI
abilities may predict who from well-educated experts are going to come on top positions (Cherniss, Extein, Goleman, & Weissberg, 2006, p. 242).
Academic achievement has been investigated in connection with emotional intelligence prior. Some of the studies have confirmed the relationship between the academic success of students and their EI level (Akintunde and Olujide, 2018; Goodwin, 2016; Holt, 2007; Iannucci and Mirabellais 2013; Shaikhina, 2017). However, there are studies which have not endorsed any correlations between those variables (Lawrence &
Deepa, 2013; Landau & Meirovich, 2011). Researchers identified that such EI factors as self-control and well-being are positively correlated with students’ academic performance (Shaikhina, 2017), as well as self-management, and interpersonal competencies may be predictors of high academic achievement (Nelson, Low, Vela, 2003, p.19). Therefore, improving students’ emotional intelligence level facilitates their academic performance.
Problem statement
Generally, higher education institutions emphasize the importance of IQ mastering and pay less attention to other types of intelligences, including emotional intelligence.
However, such components of emotional intelligence as interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies are considered to be more significant for life success than IQ (Tucker, Sojka, Barone, & Mccarthy, 2000, p.331). The same situation is happening in Kazakhstan, where a contemporary higher education system does not provide due attention to emotional intelligence development (Naurzalina et al., 2015 p.390). As a result, stress, lack of time management on academic and non-academic activities, assignments from various
instructors, those are not a full list of issues which freshmen students of higher education institutions are experiencing. Among all of those struggles, the personal problems such as communication with friends and family, becoming independent, and mastering individual learning habits are the most frequent for students in that period of their life (Stough,
Saklofske, & Parker, 2010, p.243). Therefore, researchers claim that emotional intelligence components have to be incorporating into higher education institutions’ curricula (Tucker, Sojka, Barone, & Mccarthy, 2000, p.331).
The current study has been conducted in two Kazakhstani higher education institutions: regional and autonomous universities. This fact allows the researcher to capture the diversity of students’ emotional intelligence skills in connection with their academic achievement. These two universities differ from each other in the background, type, enrollment requirements, and teaching and learning practices. The Regional
University is multidisciplinary university, whereas the Autonomous one is considered to be an international high-quality teaching and research institution. Even though there are extra- curricular activities which to some extent develop students’ general psychological well- being, still emotional intelligence and its components are not included in any of
compulsory or non-academic courses in both universities.
The topic of the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement has not been explored thoroughly in both institutions. On the one hand, the probable reason for such a situation may be the fact that emotional intelligence notion is only developing and rather new for Kazakhstan. On the other hand, administration and educators of institutions have to pay more attention to students’ learning issues, their future employment matters, resources, and material basis. Thus, this research study is focused on the relationship between emotional intelligence and students’ academic performance, as to show that there is a need for HEIs to identify the significance of EI elements for students’
success during the learning process.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study is to identify the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement among undergraduate students in two Kazakhstani universities.
Research Questions
Q1. How do students at two Kazakhstani universities differ in their emotional intelligence level?
Q2: How does emotional intelligence level differ based on such background characteristics as gender and age?
Q3. To what extent does student emotional intelligence level correlate with academic achievement levels?
Q4. To what extent do age and gender influence the relationship between student academic achievement and emotional intelligence?
Significance of the Study
The results of the study would contribute to the higher education system in Kazakhstan, as administrators, managers, and faculty members may be provided with the current emotional intelligence level of undergraduate students from the two institutions.
The fact that these two universities are located in two different cities of the country would demonstrate a bigger picture and more reliable results. Therefore, other higher education institutions may use the findings of the current research study in order to facilitate students’ emotional intelligence level inserting related activities in their curricula.
Additionally, the results of the research study can be of use for teachers and educators to analyze which non-academic factors may influence students’ academic achievement positively or negatively.
Definitions of the Concepts
Emotional Intelligence – Salovey, and Mayer (1990) proposed such definition of emotional intelligence as “… the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions” (p.189). Based on Salovey and Mayer, in this research study, the definition of emotional intelligence is the capability of an individual to understand their own emotions and emotions of others, as to use this
knowledge in maintaining their cognitive thinking and social actions.
Academic Achievement – “…defined as the level of actual accomplishment or proficiency one has achieved in an academic area, as opposed to one's potential in the educational goals measured by examinations” (Lawrence & Deepa, 2013, p. 103). In this research study, students’ self-reported academic achievement percentage has been used.
Benefits of the Study
The research study aims at identifying emotional skills correlated with individuals’
cognitive abilities; it would encourage universities’ psychologists to work with students in order to increase specific EI skills and develop their academic achievement. This study would also be of importance for educators and lecturers of higher education institutions in order to analyze students’ academic strengths and weaknesses through their particular EI competencies and skills. Alternatively, these research findings would be of interest for employers, so that they may be aware of future specialists’ overall emotional intelligence level and its connection with their analytical skills.
This chapter provides an overview of the main constituents of the current research study. Such sections as problem statement, the purpose of the study, research questions, significance of the present study, main definitions of the concepts, as well as benefits have been outlined here.
Overall, the current thesis includes six chapters. The Literature Review chapter provides an overview of emotional intelligence term, its main models, and competencies along with previous studies on the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement. The Methodology chapter reports the main research methods and procedures used in the current research study. That chapter contains main research questions, problem and purposes overview, research design, population and sample, instruments, data analysis, and ethical considerations. Similarly, the Methodology chapter provides details of such subsections as research design, data collection procedures,
sampling strategy, and research site. The Findings chapter presents the primary statistical analyses of the research study: descriptive, inferential, and correlational. This chapter reports on the percentage dispersion of the sample population and indicates the fundamental differences and correlations among research variables. The Discussion chapter offers the interpretation of the results from the Findings chapter, its connection with previous studies as well as my probable assumptions on some remarkable patterns.
Lastly, the Conclusion chapter provides the structural summary of the essential findings and informs about the main limitations and possible implications of further research.
Literature Review
This literature review focuses on the main definitions, theories of EI, and its models. The first section of my literature review reveals the appearance of the emotional intelligence term. The section starts with the theory of multiple intelligences. Such terms as social intelligence and mindfulness are examined in connection with emotional
intelligence. The second section considers the basic models of emotional intelligence: EI ability-based model, EI competence model, and mixed models. The third section provides the readers with the Emotional Skills Assessment Process Approach, which was used as the framework for this research study. It also underlines the main EI competencies and provides information about previous studies in this sphere. The fourth section identifies how such background variables as gender and age influence the emotional intelligence level of individuals. The final paragraph of the literature review reports about the gap in the previous research studies.
Appearance of the Emotional Intelligence Term
The theory of multiple intelligences. Since, the emotional intelligence term includes the notion “intelligence”; it is worth to consider different types of intelligences.
In 1983 Gardner introduced the theory of multiple intelligences, as the challenge to general intelligence, which was treated as the only entity (Achkovska-Leshkovska & Spaseva, 2016, p. 58; Chakrabarti & Chatterjea, 2017, p. 13). Taking into consideration neurological and cultural research, Gardner’s theory proposed seven intelligences: logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, musical, spatial, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. Later, two more types of intelligences had been included: the eighth – naturalist intelligence and the ninth – existential intelligence. In general, this theory has several main points. The first is that each person has all those intelligences. However, they operate in ways which are unique to each person. The second comes to the fact that each of the intelligences may be
facilitated to a moderate level. The third point is that usually, intelligences operate together in a sophisticated way. The fourth peculiarity explains that there are many ways how to develop skills within each intelligence (Achkovska-Leshkovska & Spaseva, 2016, p.58).
Thus, initially, there were nine main intelligences.
Social intelligence. In 1995 Goleman, in his book “Emotional Intelligence – Why it can matter more than IQ,” identifies social intelligence notion that was divided into interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences. In his book, Goleman suggested the definitions of interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences proposed by Gardner.
Consequently, interpersonal intelligence is defined as the ability of individuals to
understand others, how to interact with each other, and what motivates other people. In its’
turn, intrapersonal intelligence is an inner model of oneself, which is inward quality.
Therefore, a person with intrapersonal intelligence skills can understand his or her own feelings and motives, which helps him or her in life organization. (Goleman, 1995, p. 39) Thus, this manifestation gave an impetus for the appearance and further development of the concept of emotional intelligence (Razzaq, 2016).
Emotional intelligence and “mindfulness”. In retrospect, the concept of emotional intelligence sprang from the notion – “mindfulness” that dates back to the Buddhist era and other eastern spiritual practices. Those practices included such expression as “conscious attention” (Bishop et al., 2004). In the article “Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition” (Bishop et al., 2004), it was mentioned that such notions as mindfulness and emotional distress are connected with self-awareness, practices focusing an individual’s attention on the moment here and now. Such practices as, for instance, meditation can broaden an individual’s mind and allow him or her to think what leads to facilitation of cognitive abilities. In this fashion, the notion mindfulness includes self- regulation of attention as well as switching focus. A person does not judge or suppress his
feelings or thoughts; he or she observes them and accepts them. He or she is open to the reality of the current moment. Such practice gives an individual an advantage to have emotional distress, as his or her negative thoughts have a less damaging influence on the mind and behavior (Bishop et al., 2004, p. 232). Therefore, the notion of mindfulness is connected with emotional intelligence in a way that it helps an individual to regulate his or her feelings and emotions.
Emotional intelligence term. The interest in Emotional Intelligence (EI) term as an independent notion in research had been raised in the second part of the 20th century.
As it had been noted before, in 1995, Goleman proposed the term emotional intelligence in the bestselling book “Emotional Intelligence – Why it can matter more than IQ” which made this term broadly known (Kavya, 2016, p. 69). However, “Salovey and Mayer (1990) first used the expression “emotional intelligence” and described it in terms of four
domains: knowing and handling one’s own and other’s emotions” (as cited by Boyatzis, Goleman, & Rhee, 2000, p. 2). Although, after the abovementioned book, the term became fashionable, still some earlier sources were referring to the term EI. For instance, for the first time, the concept EI was mentioned in a 1964 paper authored by Michael Beldoch. Later, Keith Beasley inserted the notion “Emotional Quotient” in the article for British Mensa magazine (Kavya, 2016).
Similarly, as Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ) serves as a rubric for measuring emotional intelligence skill. Even though, after the abovementioned
publication, the concept emotional intelligence has become popular; still, most people in the spheres of psychology, education, and management find this area somewhat ambiguous (Clarke, 2010, p.119). Thus, the Emotional Intelligence term comes along with such notions as social intelligence, which included intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences, as well as the slightly older term “mindfulness.” Based on above-listed terms and concepts,
it can be deduced that emotional intelligence is rather multi-faceted. Consequently, in researching emotional intelligence and its significance, it is essential to take into consideration the main models of this notion.
Models of Emotional Intelligence
Turning to the basic models of emotional intelligence, some researchers identify general areas, such as emotional perception, regulation, understanding, and utilization (Ciarrochi, Chan and Caput, 2000). Based on those models, researchers may orient in the ways as to how to measure the emotional quotient of people. According to the following researchers: Salovey & Mayer (1990), Goleman, (1995) and Bar-On (2006), the models of EI are categorized according to certain aspects: ability or performance models by Salovey
& Mayer (1990) competence or trait models by Goleman (1995), and mixed models (Clarke, 2010, p.119).
Emotional intelligence ability-based model. The ability-based model considers emotional intelligence from the view of four cognitive abilities, which explains how individuals operate emotional impulses: 1 accurately perceiving emotion in oneself and others, 2 using emotions to facilitate thinking, 3 understanding emotion, and 4 managing emotions in oneself and other people (Mayer et al., 2008). Empirical studies in this sphere have revealed that abilities, as mentioned above, are closely linked to the development of such significant skills as leadership (Leban & Zulauf, 2004; Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, &
Boyle, 2006) and decision making and negotiation (Day & Carroll, 2004; Mueller &
Curhan, 2006).
Regarding the measurement instruments, the ability model of EI assesses
individuals’ control of emotions through questionnaires such as MSCEIT (Mayer-Salovey- Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test) by Salovey and Mayer (1990). Furthermore, the ability-based model is also called a performance model that is considered as a form of
intelligence and mental ability (Hebert, 2011). Therefore, this model focuses on how well respondents can perform mental tasks and orients on correct or incorrect answers.
However, there is a limitation of the ability model, which comes to the fact that respondents may provide fake answers (Zeidner, Matthews, &Roberts, 2004).
Emotional intelligence competence model. The next model is called competence model. According to Goleman, this model includes five clusters. The first cluster is self- awareness, which comprises the following skills: self-assessment, emotional self- awareness, and self-confidence. The second is self-regulation cluster. This cluster
encompasses self-control, trustworthiness, adaptability, conscientiousness, and innovation.
The third cluster self-motivation cluster, which consists of commitment, achievement orientation, optimism, and initiative. The fourth Empathy Cluster is comprised of
organizational awareness, empathy, developing others, service orientation, and leveraging diversity. The last cluster is social skills, which contains communication, leadership, influence, building bonds, conflict management, change catalyst, collaboration and
cooperation, and team skills (Razzaq, 2016). This model is assessed with the help of multi- rater instruments.
Concerning emotional intelligence at the workplace, according to Daniel Goleman, it consists of five main aspects: managing emotions, empathy, self-motivation, self-
awareness, and handling relationships. Those aspects are fallen under two competencies:
personal and social. Personal competence incorporates such components as a) self- awareness (recognizing emotions of self and others and self-confidence in having confidence in one’s abilities), b) self-regulation (self-control, conscientiousness, trustworthiness, innovativeness, and adaptability), and c) self-motivation (achievement drive, commitment, initiative, and optimism) (Goleman, 1995). Social competence
incorporates the following components a) social awareness, and b) social skills (Goleman, 1995).
Mixed models. Mixed models usually represent the combination of elements of two abovementioned models. For instance, Bar-On EQ (emotional quotient) mixed model (BarOn, 2006), which was initially elaborated for the clinical context. This model was created to develop specific personal skills in people, which led to “emotional well-being.”
The author of this model is a clinical psychologist, who designed the structure of measurement instrument Bar-On EQ, based on his research experiments.
Competencies of Emotional intelligence
Epstein’s constructive thinking theory. The emotional competence model by Goleman (1995) has been taken as the basis for the next EI theory. Based on those competencies, Nelson and Low (2011) developed an education-based approach to emotional intelligence evaluation. This model encompasses four competencies:
interpersonal, leadership, self-management, and intrapersonal. (Nelson and Low, 2011) This approach has been selected as the conceptual framework (figure. 1) of the current study on the reason that it emphasizes the importance of EI in the learning process. Some of EI competencies such as self-management and interpersonal had been endorsed to be predictors of high academic achievement of students (Nelson, Low and Vela, 2003, p.23).
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework
As Nelson and Low’s approach of emotional intelligence assessment is the
framework of the current study, it is rational to discuss the appearance of this approach and to examine its four main competencies. Apart from Goleman’s competency model, Nelson and Low’s approach was also based on Epstein’s theory of constructive theory. To
consider the significance of the emotional intelligence skills and its relation to one’s academic abilities, and his or her academic achievement, such theory as “Constructive thinking” should be noted. Epstein (1998) in his book “Constructive thinking: The key to Emotional Intelligence” presented the notion constructive thinking as the ability of an individual to control his or her pessimistic thoughts, what purported to think
constructively. As a consequence, he maintained the concept that every person possesses two minds: a rational conscious mind and automatic “experiential” mind. An individual’s conscious rational mind is considered to be relatively unemotional as he or she can easily control it.
On the other hand, the automatic “experiential” mind is related to the preconscious level; therefore, people cannot control it, mainly because they are not aware of its
functioning. This experiential mind is connected with past experiences as well as with emotions. As the solution to this issue, Epstein has proposed that a person can increase control over the experiential mind if he or she understands how it operates (Epstein, 1998).
So, the abovementioned theory indicates the significance of preconscious sphere, which leads to the emotional intelligence concept.
Emotional skills assessment process. For EI evaluation, Nelson and Low developed measurement test, called Emotional Skills Assessment Process. The
measurement inventory outlined the following scale items: 1) assertion; 2) empathy; 3) social awareness; 4) positive influence (leadership) 5) decision-making;; 6) drive strength (achieving goals); 7) time management; 8) commitment ethic (personal responsibility); 9)
self-esteem; and 10) stress management (emotional intelligence measures). This assessment instrument enables to identify the connection between students’ emotional skills and their impact on academic capacity. Thus, have considered the main models of emotional intelligence, for the current research study, I have selected Nelson and Low’s education-based approach to emotional intelligence.
Main emotional intelligence competencies. The abovementioned theories proposed by Epstein and Goleman had been taken as the basis to Nelson and Low’s approach which include four emotional intelligence competencies: 1 interpersonal, 2 leadership, 3 self-management and 4 intrapersonal, which facilitate the process of
academic achievement (Nelson & Low, 2011). According to the authors, each competency includes several abilities.
Interpersonal skills competency encompasses such abilities as an assertion, anger management, emotional skill, and anxiety management emotional skill (Nelson and Low, 2011). The assertion is defined as a person’s capability to communicate their ideas in an appropriate friendly way so that they expose care and respect to others (Nelson, Low and Vela, 2003, p.17). The anger management emotional skill includes such emotion as anger, which interferes in the success of relationships between people. The third component in this competency is anxiety emotional skill, which, in its turn, considers the effect of fear on people’s interpersonal relationship (Nelson and Low, 2011).
Leadership skills competency identifies the following EI abilities: social awareness, empathy, decision making, and positive influence. The first is social awareness, which is recognized as a person’s capability to establish positive relationships with others selecting the pertinent social, emotional, and comfortable physical distance (Nelson and Low, 2011).
The second leadership skill is empathy, which is considered as the ability of an individual to accurately recognize and adequately respond to the feelings and emotions of others.
“Accurate Empathy involves active listening in a patient, compassionate, and non-
judgmental manner and communication back to the person to be viewed as caring, genuine, and trustworthy” (Nelson, Low and Vela, 2003, p. 17). The decision-making skill indicates a person’s capability to problem-solving and conflict-resolution practices and his or her attitude to planning, formulating, initiating, and implementing those practices (Nelson and Low, 2011). The next skill is positive influence or leadership, which is the ability to impact, influence, and persuade other people in a positive manner (Nelson and Low, 2011).
Self-management skills are divided into more four EI abilities: drive strength, commitment ethic, time management, and change orientation. According to Gragg (2008) self-management is “… the application of the inner balance created through self-awareness that is projected outward for others to see (Gragg, 2008, p.246)” The first skill under this competency is drive strength which exposes “… the ability to effectively direct personal energy and motivation to achieve personal career, and life goals” (Nelson, Low and Vela, 2003, p. 18). Commitment ethic illustrates the ability of a person to be effective in tasks, assignments, projects completion independently, and under challenging circumstances. The third skill, time-management, belongs to an individuals’ ability to use their time effectively in accord with their schedule and accomplish tasks properly. The fourth skill under this competency is change orientation, which indicates a person’s openness to change in his or her personal or professional development (Nelson and Low, 2011).
In its turn, intrapersonal skills include self-esteem and stress management abilities (Nelson & Low, 2011). The first self-esteem skill is recognized as the ability to consider oneself as successful and competent in accomplishing his or her personal strivings (Nelson, Low and Vela, 2003, p. 19). Self-esteem can also be interconnected with the self-concept notion, which also includes one’s perceptions and beliefs about themselves. Self-concept is believed to be correlated with such areas as academic achievement, psychological well-
being, and emotional tendencies (Hagger, Biddle, & Wang, 2005, p.298). The second skill is stress-management, the ability of a person to select and practise healthy self-control and self-management encountering stressful circumstances (Nelson and Low, 2011).
Emotional intelligence competencies and academic achievement. Regarding the studies which generally have supported the link between EI and academic achievement, it has been deduced that there are relationships between emotional intelligence and online learning (Goodwin, 2016), emotional intelligence and school students’ academic
performance (Holt, 2007; Shaikhina, 2017). Other studies focus on emotional intelligence components and its influence on academic achievement (Akintunde and Olujide, 2018), emotional intelligence of secondary school principals and school performance (Ashworth, 2013) and emotional intelligence and academic success prediction (Iannucci and
Mirabellais, 2013). However, there are studies which have not found any positive
correlation between EI and academic achievement (Lawrence & Deepa, 2013; Landau &
Meirovich, 2011).
The positive correlations between emotional intelligence competencies as measured with ESAP (emotional skills assessment process) and academic achievement had been indicated in two previous studies (Ashworth, 2013; Goodwin, 2016). Goodwin (2016) confirmed that the components of EI such as leadership, self-management, and
intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies are related to students’ success in online learning (Goodwin, 2016). The research study by Goodwin (2016) employed the correlation between EI competencies and student academic achievement (GPA). The results of that study showed that interpersonal competency had the highest level of
association with students’ GPA. The study was based on Kolb’s learning styles, which help to identify students’ natural abilities to concentrate on the learning material. Thus, during this study, it had been found out that interpersonal and leadership competencies of EI were
considered to be the main predictors of academic achievement in a business student sample. The research study included a non-probability sample of 198 undergraduate students enrolled in an online business program. The interpersonal and leadership competencies are connected with such skills as decision-making, leadership, empathy, assertion (interpersonal competency) and social awareness (leadership competency) (Goodwin, 2016).
Concerning the academic achievement sphere, there have been indicated the differences between high-, average-, and lower-achieving participants (Shaikhina, 2017), as well as underachieving high ability participants (Akintunde and Olujide, 2018). For instance, regarding the research studies in Kazakhstan, Shaikhina (2017), in her thesis, also underlined the significance of EI for students’ academic success. This study with a sample of 152 participants employed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as data instruments. Overall, the study provides the information about students’ level of social competence and emotional
intelligence. Along with this information, the study indicated high, average, and low levels of NIS student performing in relation to social competence and emotional intelligence. The results of this study have shown that, in general, students with higher academic performing possess a high level of emotionality. Specifically, the high levels of EI components of students, such as well-being and self-control, were correlated with their high academic achievement. However, the results showed that such variables as age, gender, and medium of instruction do not impact considerably on the relationship between social competence, emotional intelligence, and student academic achievement (Shaikhina, 2017).
The recent study of 2018, which has been conducted by Akintude and Olujide, examined the impact of emotional intelligence and locus of control on academic
achievement of underachieving high ability students. The experiment took place in Ibadan,
Nigeria. As the instruments of data collection, the authors used the following kits: Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale (RLCS), and Cognitive Ability Test, designed by Schutte (SEIS) Emotional Intelligence Scale and the school academic record (Akintunde and Olujide, 2018). The sample included 72 underachieving high ability students, who were purposively recruited from 12 schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. The results of this study indicated that
generally, EI and LC of the participants were remarkably low. However, overall the experiment has shown that there has been a slightly higher influence of locus control (. = .52) than emotional intelligence (. = .46) in predicting student academic achievement (Akintude and Olujide, 2018).
Similarly, the study by Ashworth (2013) has revealed the relationship between the emotional intelligence of secondary school principals and school performance. The study, which took place in Texas, comprised the non-probability sample of 105 participants:
secondary public school participants. The study employed the following instrumentation:
A two-part Emotional Skills Questionnaire (ESQ), which was designed by the researcher and the Emotional Skills Assessment Process (ESAP) inventory (Nelson & Low, 2011).
This research study considered emotional intelligence in connection with leadership. There was a discrepancy between qualitative and quantitative analyses. The outcome revealed that even though according to quantitative analysis, the relationship between principals’
emotional intelligence and school performance was not statistically significant, still the qualitative data showed the opposite view. According to qualitative analysis, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and positive leadership were correlated with school performance.
Overall, the results of the study have concluded that the awareness of an individual’s own emotions and emotions of others facilitate the process of positive leadership and help the principals to build strong relationships (Ashworth, 2013).
A controversial view on the emotional intelligence sphere in an academic environment has been proposed by two studies (Lawrence & Deepa, 2013; Landau &
Meirovich, 2011) which did not find any correlations between emotional intelligence of students and their academic success. The first study by Lawrence & Deepa (2013) explored the connection between emotional intelligence level of high school students and their academic achievement. A sample included 400 students of high and higher secondary schools. The emotional intelligence instrument incorporated following EI factors:
Emotionality, Self-Control, Well Being, and Sociability. The authors of the study did not find any positive correlation between emotional intelligence and academic achievement factors. The researchers proposed the probable assumption of such outcome that overall the academic achievement of the high schools where the research took place was average what led to average EI level of participants (Lawrence & Deepa, 2013).
The second study by Landau & Meirovich (2011) investigated how emotional intelligence development may correlate with the participative environment of college students. That research study likewise did not identify any correlations between EI level of students and their GPA. The authors suggested that their study did not take into
consideration any measurement of students’ cognitive skills, which might impact the results.
The Influence of Age and Gender on Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence and gender. Several studies confirmed that there was no significant difference between gender and emotional intelligence level of participants (Akintude and Olujide, 2018; Pope, Roper and Qualter, 2012; Shaikhina, 2017). However, there were some separate EI components which still might be differentiated by gender. For instance, the recent study by Akintude and Olujide (2018) indicated that male students exposed higher scores on overall EI level, whereas their female counterparts showed better
internal locus of control. The study (Pope, Roper and Qualter, 2012) which investigated the influence of four EI competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management on academic achievement also did not report any impact of gender. However, the authors of that study identified the statistical effect of gender on social awareness.
Emotional intelligence and age. Some authors suggested that the overall emotional intelligence level and some of its components, such as self-control, may be improved with age (BarOn, 2006; Komlosi, 2014). For instance, the study by Komlosi (2014) reported that younger female participants exposed higher scores on well-being and sociability compared to older women. Similarly, the study of polytechnic lecturers by Kumar & Muniandy (2012) indicated that emotional intelligence could be developed until the age of 50 years. However, after people reach 50 years, their emotional intelligence level might be decreased (Kumar & Muniandy, 2012; Marembo & Chinyamurindi, 2018).
Hence, some research studies select samples of participants with a small difference in the age, which also may impact that studies find no significant correlations in the age category.
Gap in the Literature
There have been studies in Kazakhstan which explored the emotional intelligence sphere in the context of education. Two studies had been investigated the emotional intelligence concept in connection with social intelligence and academic performance (Shaikhina, 2017), as well as the effect of emotional intelligence on the meaning-
existential potential of students (Naurzalina et al., 2015). The first study (Shaikhina, 2017) had been conducted only in one NIS school in Aktobe so that it limited the research frames. The second study (Naurzalina et al., 2015) selected students from one state
university named after K. Zhubanov in Aktobe, which also did not provide the researchers with a room for comparison. Furthermore, there was a theoretical study which examines
the relationship between emotional intelligence and teaching competencies in higher education context (Akhmetova, Kim, & Harnisch, 2014), it mainly was aimed at investigating the implementation of the competency-based approach in the educational system of Kazakhstan. Therefore, there had not been studies which explored the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement in two higher education institutions with a different background.
Thus, in this chapter of my thesis, the historical background of the term emotional intelligence, along with its appearance and variations, have been discussed. In this chapter, I have analyzed the critical models of emotional intelligence in terms of their components and utilization. The instruments of data collection related to each model have been
indicated inside the description. To distinguish the further areas of the current study, recent studies in this field have been analyzed. During the process of the literature review, Nelson and Low’s approach to emotional intelligence assessment has been selected as the
framework of the research study.
Methodology
The previous chapter was devoted to reviewing the literature related to the topic.
Overall, the literature review chapter has been focused on the following sections: the appearance of EI term; term intelligence itself; the main models of EI, their advantages and limitations; the previous studies investigating the relationship between EI and academic achievement, as well as the impact of gender and age on this relationship. This chapter is devoted to the methods and procedures which were used in the study.
Research Questions
The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement among undergraduate students. To determine the level of emotional intelligence, the ESAP (Emotional Skills Assessment Process)
questionnaire was employed, so that the research study was focused on four main
competencies: interpersonal, leadership, self-management and intrapersonal. Self-reported academic achievement measurement was used to investigate student academic
achievement. Similarly, other background indicators such as age, gender, year of study, and major were included in the questionnaire. Based on the abovementioned information, the following research questions have been deduced:
Q1. How do students at two Kazakhstani universities differ in their emotional intelligence level?
Q2: How does emotional intelligence level differ based on such background characteristics as gender and age?
Q3. To what extent does student emotional intelligence level correlate with academic achievement levels?
Q4. To what extent do age and gender impact the relationship between student academic achievement and emotional intelligence?
Based on the abovementioned research questions, the study was guided with some hypotheses. To understand how student EI level varies at the two universities, the
subsequent null hypothesis was tested: Autonomous University students expose higher EI level compared to Regional University students. The second research question includes two sub-questions: Q2.1. How does emotional intelligence level differ based on gender?
Q2.2. How does emotional intelligence level differ based on age? To identify how EI level of students differs based on their gender, the following hypothesis was tested: Female students possess higher EI level compared to male ones.
To indicate how EI level of students differs based on their age, the next null and alternative hypotheses were checked: H0: EI level does not differ based on age and hypothesis and H1: Older students have higher EI level compared to younger ones. The third research question focuses on how EI level of students correlate with their academic levels, including high-, average- and lower-achieving participants. The hypothesis for the abovementioned research question was that high-, average-, and lower-achieving students differ in their EI levels. The fourth research question indicated how age and gender influence the relationship between EI level and academic achievement of students.
Consequently, the following hypotheses were tested: H0 Age and gender do not affect the relationship between student academic achievement and emotional intelligence; H1 EI can be used as a predictor of academic achievement.
Problem and Purposes Overview
Several studies have identified the positive influence of EI elements such as academic esteem, motivation, locus of control, and optimism on academic achievement (Holt, 2007). However, a contemporary higher education system does not provide due attention to emotional intelligence development (Naurzalina et al., 2015). Although, companies and enterprises demand employees who are not only qualified specialists in the
professional sphere but who also possess soft skills. Thus, there is a need for HEIs to identify the significance of EI elements for students’ success during the learning process.
The study focuses on the link between emotional intelligence and academic achievement among Autonomous University and Regional University undergraduate students. The results may contribute to the suggestion of incorporating EI elements into higher education institutions’ curricula.
Research Design
Selecting between two research paradigms, qualitative and quantitative, I had decided to choose the quantitative approach. Qualitative research approach implies the inductive style of inquiry and individuals’ understanding of social issues so that it involves the small sample of participants, sometimes multiple staging of data collection (Creswell, 2009). Even though, the qualitative approach provides some strengths compared to quantitative, such as in-depth investigation of a problem, adaptability and flexibility of questions during the process, data that based on human experience; still there are some limitations which cannot be appropriate for the current study. The qualitative research has the following drawbacks during the process: a vast amount of data, which is time-
consuming, the presence of the researcher, what may be biased, the difficulty in assessing and presenting the collected data (Anderson, 2010). As the research study had been
employed in two different cities, and there was a limited time allocated for data collection, the quantitative approach had been selected as a research paradigm.
Moreover, there are some more reasons for choosing the quantitative method over qualitative for my research study. The quantitative research is considered more as a way for “testing objective theories by examining the relationship among variables” (Creswell, 2009, p 4). The first reason is that the problem of the current study is to investigate the relationship between students’ emotional intelligence and their academic achievement; it
also includes certain factors such as gender, age, year of study and major which may impact on this relationship. The quantitative method of research provides the range of different options such as measurements, comparisons, making forecasts, exploration, testing hypotheses, constructing concepts and theories, and making explanation (Walliman
& Walliman, 2010). The second reason comes to the fact that the current study investigates the correlations between such variables as gender, age, year of study, and major and how they influence the link between EI and academic achievement. Consequently, the
quantitative research method suits to this study better since “understanding the factors that explain or relate to an outcome helps investigator best understand and explain the
problem” (Creswell, 2009, p 99).
More specifically, I selected a survey study for my research design. Such an approach to data collection as an online survey guarantees anonymity and brings comfort as it allows participants to be convenient sharing some personal information (Leavy, 2017).
The online questionnaire survey was a more preferred type for this study due to several reasons. First of all, as the survey had to be implemented in two different cities, this method provided economizing time and seizing more available respondents. The second reason is that mobility and technology-based approach attracts students more than telephone or face-to-face questionnaires. The third reason is that the survey design of the study allowed the researcher to gain more reliable answers, easily compare groups of respondents and directly store answers in a database (Muijs, 2004). As an online survey tool, Qualtrics subscription software was used for collecting data. Using this service device, researchers may generate their own surveys with the help of templates, then posting the link on Web sites, or emailing a survey to participants.
Population and Sample
