A study by the University of Málaga (UMA), supported by the Regional Ministry of University, Industry, Energy and Innovation, found that students who perceived their teachers as more emotionally skilled also reported higher levels of academic engagement. The research involved 518 students aged 12 to 18 at four schools in Andalusia, who assessed their teachers’ abilities; researchers then compared those perceptions with students’ academic engagement.
The study’s key distinction is that it examined teachers’ emotional intelligence from the students’ perspective, rather than asking teachers to assess themselves. It considered how students’ perceptions of teachers’ ability to manage emotions in class, respond to their needs and create a positive classroom environment related to their involvement in schoolwork.
The results indicate that teacher support was associated with greater academic engagement. Students who felt supported by their teachers tended to be more enthusiastic, dedicated and involved in their studies. The researchers also found that students’ own emotional intelligence was associated with greater engagement.
The research, titled “Teachers emotionally intelligent behaviors and students academic engagement: the mediating role of teacher support,” was published in the European Journal of Psychology of Education. It describes emotionally intelligent teaching as recognizing what is happening in the classroom, understanding how it may affect learning and responding appropriately. Examples include noticing when a student is frustrated, resolving conflict without escalating tension, and creating an environment in which students feel heard and supported.
Researchers distributed questionnaires to students in four schools, covering pupils from the first year of compulsory secondary education through the second year of Bachillerato. They collected information in two stages, five months apart. The first questionnaire asked about classroom situations, including whether teachers helped others feel better when discouraged and whether students could ask for help when needed. The follow-up measured academic engagement, defined as students’ enthusiasm, dedication and involvement in their studies. A statistical model tested whether perceived teacher emotional intelligence was related to later engagement, and whether students’ sense of teacher support partly accounted for that relationship.
The findings suggest perceived teacher emotional intelligence may relate to engagement both directly, through a more positive emotional climate, and indirectly, by helping students feel more supported. The researchers say the results could inform teacher training in emotional skills, approaches to improving teacher-student relationships, emotional education activities for students, and interventions at schools experiencing apathy or low participation. These are potential applications, not outcomes tested by the study.
The research was conducted by UMA’s Applied Positive Lab, with funding from the Junta de Andalucía, the university’s own funds and the European Regional Development Fund. It also received support from Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Future research proposed by the team includes examining whether teachers’ emotional intelligence supports the development of students’ own emotional skills and exploring how school climate affects positive social behaviours.