EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE SKILLS ON SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS' TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS: A GENDER-BASED COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

With a focus on gender-based comparisons, this study examined the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) competencies on secondary school teachers' effectiveness as teachers. A standardized EI questionnaire covering five competencies—self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills—was used to gather data from 389 teachers (186 males and 203 females) using a quantitative, descriptive-comparative design. The results showed that there were significant gender differences in self-awareness and self-regulation, with female teachers scoring higher. This suggests that they have more emotional intelligence and control when it comes to classroom management and instructional adjustment. But there were no discernible gender differences in motivation, empathy, or social skills, suggesting that both sexes have similar interpersonal and motivational strengths. These results imply that both male and female educators have comparable relational and motivational skills, even though female educators show greater emotional introspection and poise. In order to improve teaching effectiveness in secondary education settings, the study emphasizes the significance of incorporating gender-sensitive emotional intelligence development into teacher education.