Emotional Intelligence and Improved Professionalism of Teachers
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of emotional intelligence and how it can improve teachers’ professionalism. In order to achieve this objective, other specific objectives are to:
- Evaluate the level of awareness of teachers about emotional intelligence
- Ascertain the impact of emotional intelligence on classroom management.
- Establish the link between emotional intelligence and teaching methodology
- Relate the influence of teachers’ emotional intelligence and its effects on the academic performance of the students.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
If America’s next generation of teachers is to exercise responsible pedagogy, then preparations for the task must be made now, chiefly in the classrooms where the formative stages of teacher development are taking place. Teacher training programs and professional development opportunities are in abundance as a steady stream of new legislation continues to transform the educational experience. The profession of teaching is changing. Teacher training programs are increasing the role of the teacher and with that, teacher-training programs sometimes fall short of engaging teachers in meaningful conversations about interpersonal and intrapersonal attributes as self-regard, self-awareness, assertiveness, social responsibility, and empathy – all fundamental to becoming a responsible practitioner. Emotional Intelligence (EI and all other acronyms, Appendix A) is all of these attributes and therefore is an essential component to a teacher’s subject expertise (Mortiboys, 2005). Zoshak (2016) artfully describes a possible shortcoming of teacher education programs in this way, “one such potential blind spot that draws attention in some teacher education programs today is the inseparability of emotions and teaching/learning” (p. 211). Goleman (1995), Gardner (1993), and Mortiboys (2005) agree that developing emotional intelligence (EI) is quintessential to becoming a reflective practitioner, and a critical attribute of teacher effectiveness. Lantieri (2008) puts EI center stage when discussing current social and emotional learning (SEL) initiatives in place at many K-12 schools. She goes on to elaborate on how teacher and student EI, are what create in our students “good social and emotional skills early in life… (these skills) make a big difference in (students’) long-term health and well-being (Lantieri, 2008, p. 16). Inculcating the minds of teachers with a respect for and disposition toward highly developed EI is paramount in teacher preparation and sustainability (Mortiboys, 2005, p. 112). It may be that teachers with underdeveloped EI will struggle to meet the multitude of needs of 21st Century learners (Lantieri, 2008). As Rust (2014) explains, “during the last decade, research has shown that teachers who work to develop relationships, while delivering relevant and rigorous instruction, demonstrate greater student achievement” (p. 5). Conducting a professional development (PD) opportunity based on the role of EI was a thought experiment in which I hoped to encourage teachers to care about education in new and different ways.
This project introduces the construct of a Conversation Circle: a workshop-like session designed to encourage teacher-talk and reflection on the topic of emotional intelligence (EI). I was curious how, or if, attributes of EI could develop in teachers by providing a place of conversation where discussion was structured but not formal, and where the vocabulary and definitions of EI and its categories were explicit. EI consists of five categories, with each category having two or more sub-categories (Appendix B for complete listing):
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter covers the description and discussion on the various techniques and procedures used in the study to collect and analyze the data as it is deemed appropriate
Research Design
For this study, the survey research design was adopted. The choice of the design was informed by the objectives of the study as outlined in chapter one. This research design provides a quickly efficient and accurate means of assessing information about a population of interest. It intends to study on emotional intelligence and improved professionalism of teachers. The study will be conducted in Lagos State.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Introduction
This chapter deals with the presentation and analysis of the result obtained from questionnaires. The data gathered were presented according to the order in which they were arranged in the research questions and simple percentage were used to analyze the demographic information of the respondents while the chi square test was adopted to test the research hypothesis.
CHAPTER FIVE
Concluding
Clearly, the emotional aspect of teaching is forever entwined with a teacher’s content knowledge and pedagogy. A teacher with highly honed EI is an agile teacher who can adapt, keeping her classroom student-centered (Mortiboys, 2005). Listening again to the conversation from Narrative Excerpt 3 (Appendix I), I thought back to when I started in my program. I was so intimidated by all the graduate students around me. They were using words like “pedagogy”, “student-centered”, and “differentiation”, and phrases like “affective filter” and “social and emotional learning (SEL)”. I knew that I needed to identify with this cohort but I was not sure how. I now know. High quality teachers need to be reflective practitioners that continue to grow and learn. The expectation of student-centered pedagogy and differentiated instruction to meet a multitude of student needs employs a heavy investment on the part of the practitioner (Lenz, Dreshler, & Kissam, 2004). Moreover, navigating the teacher-student relationships (TSR) has become a social, emotional, and often, political undertaking (Darling-Hammond, 2010). Brad Olsen (2010) discusses how the teacher who knows herself is a “powerful tool” in the daily experience of the learner (p. viii). Olsen (2010) demonstrates this through teacher narratives– stories–as they reflect on their own practice–what they like and do not like, and why. He elaborates that this process of reflection is what makes a good teacher into an “amazing” teacher (Olsen, 2010, p. 54). Leveraging EI is consequential, according to experts Goleman (1995), Lantieri (2008), Diaz-Rico (2008), and Mortiboys (2005), but a balance must be struck.
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