A Correlational Study between Emotional Intelligence and Student’s Learning

A Correlational Study between Emotional Intelligence and Student’s Learning

¹Cabrera, Venice N., ¹Andare, Mariel L., ¹Barbon, Pocholo Noel L., ¹Basa, Trisha M., ¹Chanco, Claire Joy E., ¹Gerongay, Lheza Mae S., ¹Gumba, John Emmanuel L., ¹Jacob, Shiloh Anika M., ¹Macatol, Jr. Manuel A., ¹Sigue, Rez, ²Krystal Joy M. Clamares, PhD, ²Anna Marie O. Pelandas, MAEd

¹Department of Education, Senior High School Students, Philippines

²Department of Education, Senior High School Teachers, Division of Davao de Oro, Philippines

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.804283

Received: 27 April 2024; Revised: 11 May 2024; Accepted: 16 May 2024; Published: 25 May 2024

ABSTRACT

This study dealt with a Correlational study between Emotional Intelligence and Student’s Learning in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. The primary goal of the study was to investigate the development of emotional intelligence and its positive impact on students’ learning in terms of their respective indicators, the significant difference between emotional intelligence and student’s learning, and what domains of emotional intelligence substantially influence student’s learning. Also, this study utilized a quantitative-correlational design with 274 respondents among Senior High School students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. The average weighted mean, Pearson R, and multiple regression analysis were the statistical tools used in this study. Along with this, results showed a high level of emotional intelligence among Senior High School students in terms of emotional awareness, emotional management, social emotional management, and relationship management. Likewise, results showed a high level of student’s learning in the Senior High School regarding affective liking for learning, affective liking for school, behavior effort and persistence, behavior extracurricular, and cognitive. In addition, there is a high correlation, and a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and student’s learning. Hence, this leads to the rejection of the null hypothesis. Also, all domains of emotional intelligence showed high ratings as perceived by students. Thus, educators are encouraged to incorporate emotional intelligence development into teaching practices, fostering a supportive learning environment for students to enhance their academic progress and student’s learning.

Keywords: GAS, Emotional Intelligence, Student’s Learning, Philippines

INTRODUCTION

Over the last decade, it was found out in a university in northern Taiwan that learning attention represents the learner’s ability to concentrate on the class or something, when students are not focused for a long time, it also shows that attention will affect the overall learning performance of students (Chiang et al., 2018). In the past, many studies have explored how to measure learning attention. In recent years of education-related research, most researchers are dedicated to finding the key factors that affect learning effectiveness (Liu et al., 2018). Additionally, the attention measurement method has gradually changed from questionnaires to hardware device measurements (Siennicka et al., 2019).

In the Philippines, particularly in Iloilo, a study cited by Suleman et al. (2019), conferred a rechecked and understandable meaning of emotional intelligence as the capability to monitor emotions, coordinate emotions to boost and strengthen thought, and interpret and manipulate emotions to encourage self-improvement. According to Ramana (2018), emotional intelligence should be urgently integrated into the education curriculum because of the result which states that there is a strong and positive correlation between student learning and emotional intelligence.

In Davao Oriental, students are not engaging to the highest possible extent especially in teaching-learning activities due to some identified factors such as lack of motivation, bullying, and lack of support and encouragement from teachers (Damian& General, 2023). Emotions are strong feelings directed at Someone or something and are thought to be important factors in student behavior (Abdulaziz & McCune, 2018). Involvement in student learning is not only an end in itself, but also a means by which students achieve solid academic performance and also important as it can lead to higher academic performance throughout student life (Van Ta & Zyngier, 2018). No one had ever conducted this study in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. Moreover, it was observed that the studies of some students were affected by their emotional aspects. Thus, there was an interest in gaining a deeper understanding of how emotional intelligence could affect the students’ learning.

Research Objectives

1. To describe the level of emotional intelligence in terms of:

                  1.1 emotional awareness;

                  1.2 emotional management;

                  1.3 social-emotional awareness; and

                 1.4 relationship management

2. To describe the level of student learning in terms of:

                 2.2 affective liking for learning;

                 2.3 affective liking for school;

                 2.4 behavior effort and persistence;

                 2.5 Behavior Extracurricular; and

                 2.6 cognitive

3. To find out the significant relationship between emotional intelligence and student learning.
4. To determine what domain would significantly predict emotional intelligence and student learning.

METHODOLOGY

The study used a quantitative, non-experimental research design that employed a correlational technique. It also used simple random sampling to select respondents. This method was employed when the objective was to describe the status of the situation as it existed at the time of the study to explore the causes of a particular phenomenon. In correlational research, data were collected to determine whether a relationship existed between two or more quantifiable variables (Gay, 2006).

The survey dealt with quantitative data about the phenomenon, employing an appropriate schedule for gathering data designed for the target respondents to answer questions.  The process of gathering the data was based on the use of a questionnaire. The focus of the study was to determine the level of emotional intelligence and students’ learning at Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School.

Population and Sample

Simple random sampling was used in the selection of respondents. The subject of the study was the 944 Senior High School Students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. Moreover, the study stratified the random sampling of students, enabling the researcher to obtain a sample population that best represented the entire population being studied, ensuring that each subgroup of interest was represented. The Senior High School Students were randomly selected from among the Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. According to Sekaran and Bougie (2016), a sample size greater than 30 but less than 500 was considered medium. In the case of Senior High School Students, out of the total population of 944 individuals, a random sample of 274 respondents was selected. The sample size was computed using the Raosoft sample size calculator (Raosoft, 2004).

Statistical Tool

The following statistical tools were utilized for the data analysis and interpretation.

Mean. This statistical tool was used to determine the level of emotional intelligence and students’ learning among Senior High School Students of Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School.

Pearson R. This statistical tool was used to determine the significance of the relationship between emotional intelligence and students’ learning among Senior High School Students of Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School.

Multiple regression analysis. This statistical tool was used to determine the influence of emotional intelligence and students’ learning among Senior High School Students of Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School.

RESULTS

Level of Emotional Intelligence

In Table 1, the mean scores for the indicators of emotional intelligence among Senior High School Students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School were displayed, with an overall mean of 3.88 and described as high, accompanied by a standard deviation of 0.45. The high level could be attributed to the high ratings given by the respondents in all indicators. This entailed that the respondents’ responses to the level of emotional intelligence were much more positive in terms of emotional awareness, emotional management, social-emotional management, and relationship management.

The cited overall mean score was the result obtained from the computed mean scores from highest to lowest: 3.92 or high for social-emotional management with a standard deviation of 0.60; 3.90 or high for emotional management with a standard deviation of 0.58; 3.85 or high for relationship management with a standard deviation of 0.59 and 3.85 or high for emotional awareness with a standard deviation of 0.58.

Table 1. Level of Emotional Intelligence

 Level of Student’s Learning

Shown in Table 2 were the mean scores for the indicators of students’ learning among Senior High School Students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School, with an overall mean of 3.9 and described as high, accompanied by a standard deviation of 0.48. The high level could be attributed to the high ratings given by the respondents in all indicators. This entailed that the respondents’ responses to the level of students’ learning were very positive in terms of Affective Liking for Learning, Affective Liking for School, Behavior Effort and Persistence, Behavior Extracurricular, and Cognitive.

The cited overall mean score resulted from the following computed mean scores from highest to lowest: 4.03 or high for affective liking for learning with a standard deviation of 0.63; 4.01 or high for behavior effort and persistence with a standard deviation of 0.59; 3.95 or high for affective liking for school with a standard deviation of 0.65; 3.95 or high for cognitive with a standard deviation of 0.60; and 3.80 for behavior extracurricular with a standard deviation of 0.66.

Table 2. Level of Students learning

Significance of the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Student Learning

The results revealed that emotional intelligence versus student’s learning has a significant relationship. This result is due to a p-value of 0.089, which is greater than the 0.05 level of critical value. Hence, this leads to the decision that the null hypothesis, which stated that there is no significant relationship between emotional intelligence and student’s learning among the Senior High School students of Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School is not rejected. Based on the research done on emotional awareness among Senior High School Students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School, it has been evident that the usage and application of emotional intelligence do not affect the students learning among Senior High School students.

Multiple Regression Analysis on the Influence of Emotional Intelligence and Student’s Learning

Using the Multiple Regression Analysis, the data revealed that the influence of emotional intelligence on student’s learning among Senior High School students has a t-value of 1.707 and a corresponding significance p-value of 0.089 which was significant. This means that the usage of emotional intelligence among Senior High School students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School since the probability is less than 0.05. The R squared of 0.560 implies that 47.90% of the emotional intelligence among Senior High School students of Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School is influenced by the usage of emotional awareness, while 52.1% remaining were not covered by the study and is influenced by other factors.

Furthermore, the indicator emotional management has a p-value of .001 which means that it has a significant influence on the student’s learning among Senior High School students in Lorenzo S Sarmiento Sr. National High School since the probability is less than the level of significance at 0.05 (p<0.05). Also, social-emotional awareness has a p-value of .001which means that it has a significant influence on emotional intelligence among Senior High School students of Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School since the probability is less than the level of significance at 0.05. Lastly, relationship management has a p-value of 0.089, which means that it has a significant influence on the Emotional Intelligence of Senior High School students in Lorenzo S Sarmiento Sr. National High School since the probability is less than the level of significance at 0.05. The overall result of emotional intelligence and student’s learning among Senior High School students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School.

DISCUSSIONS

Level of Emotional Intelligence

The respondents’ level of emotional intelligence in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School is high. This indicates a positive variance in emotional intelligence among Senior High School students. This further means that their emotional awareness is notable, as students demonstrate a keen understanding of their own emotions and those of others and heightened emotional intelligence translates into effective emotional management. Students exhibit the ability to regulate and navigate their emotions, contributing to a positive emotional atmosphere within the school community, a positive emotional climate extends to social-emotional management, where students engage in empathetic interactions. Students, guided by their emotional intelligence, build and sustain positive connections with peers and educators. This enhances communication, teamwork, and overall well-being within the school community, showcasing the holistic impact of emotional intelligence in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School.

This result Is about the proposition of (Iqbal et. al., 2022) that emotional intelligence can help students develop a sense of self-awareness to face these difficulties and develop a good learning mindset and habits. The study demonstrates that as students enhance their emotional awareness, there is a corresponding improvement in their academic performance. This aligns with the notion that emotional intelligence positively influences the interaction with learning materials, as students with a better grasp of their emotions may approach educational challenges with increased focus, adaptability, and a constructive mindset. A comprehensive meta-analysis by Mayer and Salovey (2022) across various studies conducted during this period further solidifies the link between emotional intelligence and well-being. Their work substantiates the claim that emotionally aware students not only excel academically but also experience enhanced overall well-being, fostering a positive and productive learning environment.

Level of Student’s Learning

The primary positive student learning among Senior High School Students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School Affective Liking for Learning, which likely reflects students’ enjoyment and intrinsic motivation towards the learning process, received a high rating, contributing to the overall positive. Sentiment towards learning experiences. Research by Anderson et al. (2021) highlights the significance of affective liking for learning in academic settings. Their study found that students who reported a positive emotional connection with the learning process demonstrated higher levels of motivation and engagement. This positive affective liking not only contributed to a more enjoyable learning experience but also correlated with improved academic performance. The research underscores the importance of considering emotional aspects in educational strategies to enhance students’ affective liking for learning.

A similar positive endorsement is evident in Affective Liking for School, suggesting that students exhibit a strong emotional connection and satisfaction with the school environment, fostering a conducive atmosphere for their educational journey. Research by Johnson and Garcia (2022) highlights the significance of affective liking for school in shaping students’ overall well-being and academic outcomes. Their study indicates that students who express a strong emotional connection with the school, characterized by a sense of belonging and positive associations, tend to exhibit higher levels of motivation, engagement, and academic achievement. This positive affective liking for school contributes to a conducive learning atmosphere, fostering a sense of community and support. These findings underscore the importance of creating a school environment that promotes positive emotional experiences, ultimately enhancing students’ overall satisfaction and success in their educational journey.

Significant Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Student’s Learning

The present study reveals a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and student learning among Senior High School students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. This implies that emotional intelligence influences student’s learning among Senior High School students, which can be seen in the data. This confirms the main anchored theory of the study, the Broaden and Build Theory of Fredrickson (1998), which claims that emotional intelligence has a positive and significant relationship with student’s learning. This agitates the other gained proposition in this study, the proposition of Gardner (1985) which stated that the scores on many intelligence tests are stable, and show some kind of achievement quite good, they are good at measuring scholastic potential and school grades.

The relationship between overall emotional intelligence and student learning among senior high school students at Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Senior National High School. This implies that emotional intelligence is dependent on student’s learning among senior high school students at Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Senior National High School. These findings affirmed the notion of (Jan & Anwar, 2018) that students who have emotional intelligence can improve students learning and be more self-confident and capable in handling their life and learning challenges, as a result, will lead to better academic performance. Also, these findings further aligned with the averment presented by (Fiftyana & Sawitri, 2020), who stated that emotional intelligence

 both in the school environment and other socializing places suppose emotional intelligence is formed maturely in students. Also, this study is related to the study by Utaminingsih, E. and Puspita, M. (2023) which found that emotional intelligence is an important factor in helping students perceive emotions properly and in understanding the emotions of themselves and others. Besides the belief of Parhati et. al. (2022)this study’s findings that it is needed to understand that emotional intelligence has positive outcomes on students learning so that they can develop their growth and emotional intelligence well.

Multiple Regression Analysis on the Influence of the Emotional Intelligence and Student’s Learning

The regression coefficient is to test the significant influence of overall emotional intelligence and students’ learning among Senior High school students. Using the Multiple Regression in JASP Software the data reveal that the influence of emotional intelligence towards students’ learning among Senior High School students has a significant influence. Only 35.89% of the students’ learning among Senior High School students of Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School is influenced by the usage of emotional intelligence. The overall results of emotional intelligence predict students’ learning. Therefore, the significance level of the hypothesis of emotional intelligence and students’ learning in Senior high school students is rejected.

There are several factors influencing students’ online academic learning. A body of recent studies has shown that emotional intelligence (Berenson et al., 2008), and learning motivation (Nonis and Fenner, 2012), (Yokoyama, 2019) have an effect on academic learning.

CONCLUSION   

Conclusions are drawn based on the results of the study. The study concludes that the level of relationship between emotional intelligence and students’ learning in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School was high, As well as its indicators, namely emotional awareness, emotional management, social-emotional management, and relationship management. Furthermore, the overall level of emotional intelligence and student learning in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School was high, as well as all five domains affective liking for learning, affective liking for school, behavior extracurricular, cognitive, behavior efforts, and persistence. Moreover, the findings opposed the theoretical assumption that there is a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and student learning. Contrary to the assumption, the study concludes that emotional intelligence and student learning were positively related. That is, a change in the level of emotional intelligence affects the level of students’ learning.

RECOMMENDATION

Based on the preceding conclusions, the following recommendations are made: since the popularity of emotional intelligence is at a high level, Department of Education should actively support the implementation of ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers, ensuring a sustained focus on Emotional Intelligence. Future research on the correlation between emotional intelligence and students’ learning should consider the following recommendations. Intervention studies can be conducted to establish a causal relationship by implementing interventions that enhance emotional intelligence skills in students and measuring their impact on learning outcomes.

Exploring the role of teachers in fostering emotional intelligence, conducting longitudinal studies, and designing educational interventions that integrate emotional intelligence training are also important. Furthermore, investigating technology-based approaches, such as virtual reality, and examining the influence of the teacher-student relationship on emotional intelligence and learning outcomes can contribute to a deeper understanding of this correlation.

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