The Relationship Between School Success and the Emotional Intelligence of Primary School Headmasters and Teachers

Prof. Dr. Erol Eren, Dean, Beykent University, Turkey Dr.Ercan Ergun and O. Cumhur Altntas, Gebze Institute of Technology, Turkey ABSTRACT This study investigates the relationship between emotional intelligence and school success. To this end, empirical research has been conducted on a sample of primary school headmasters and teachers. Their emotional intelligence has been assessed and its relation to students success on the secondary school examination has been investigated. According to the results, a significant relationship exists between primary school headmasters and teachers emotional intelligence and their schools success. Keywords: Emotional intelligence, School Success INTRODUCTION The number of research studies related to emotional intelligence has increased in recent years (Ashkanasy & Daus, 2002). The lack of satisfying results regarding the effect of Intelligence Quotation (IQ) on work performance in several prior research studies, however, has directed researchers to search for a relationship between emotional intelligence and work performance (Goleman, 2001). In this context, the aim of this study is to analzye the relationship between emotional intelligence and a schools success. In this study, the emotional intelligence concept and its relationship with school success is addressed using the results of research among the headmasters of primary schools in Isparta city center. Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is described as the right sensation of emotions, ability of evaluation and expression; ability of reaching emotions supporting to think and produce these ones; ability to understand emotions and emotional knowledge; ability to arrange the emotions to increase emotional and mental growth (Mayer & Salovey, 1997: 10). According to this description, emotional intelligence has four main components (Goleman, 2001):
Self-Awareness: Knowing ones own emotions, preferences, resources, and perceptions and how they guide ones thoughts and actions. Self-Management: Ability to manage emotions, incentives, and resources for reaching ones goals. Social Awareness: Being aware of others emotions, requirements, and interests and understanding social networks. Social Skills: Having the ability to inspire and motivate others to achieve expected results.

Emotional intelligence describes mental skills (which differ from academic intelligence; namely, the scientific skills evaluated by IQ) but complement academic intelligence (Goleman, 1996). In their collective research, Goleman and Boyatzis describe emotional intelligence as self-control and competencies, which allow one to use ones emotions in an intelligent way in active relationships with others. Emotional intelligence becomes apparent when the person exhibits the four main factors of emotional intelligence, which allow the person to be active and sufficiently qualified in various situations in a suitable way (Boyatzis, Goleman & Rhee, 2000). In other words, frequently exhibiting sufficient self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skills at suitable times point to emotional intelligence (Boyatzis, Goleman ve Rhee, 2000). Goleman (1998) emphasizes that emotional intelligence determines ones potential to learn practical skills, while emotional competencies determine how potential is converted into skills for work. According to Goleman, exhibiting a high level of emotional intelligence does not necessarily ensure learning emotional sufficiency, which is important in ones work life; it only shows that the persons learning potential is excellent. Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and School Success Emotional intelligence has become popular as a learned skill, which is seen to enhance success or performance more so than intellectual acuity or technical skills (Goleman, 1996). Goleman has stated in the studies since the 1970s that when explaining the level of peoples success, scientific skills are not enough by themselves,

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and that IQ plays only a 25% role in peoples success (Goleman, 1998: 23). In the same manner, Hunter and Hunter (1984) concluded that scientific intelligence effects work performance by only 25%. Studies by Dulewicz and Higgs (2000) are also important because they include the effects of both IQ and Emotional Quotient (EQ) on success across time. These researchers observed different people in the same work area for seven years to determine the relationship between career development and emotional and scientific competencies. They found that emotional competencies explain career changes for more people than do scientific competencies. Further, results of research among graduate students of management show that competencies that depend on emotional intelligence have an important effect on career success (Sevin, 2001). It has been stated that emotional intelligence is at least twice as important than intelligence and proficiency knowledge among high-performing workers than those with average performance (Jacobs and Chen, 1997). A research study by Boyatzis (1982) that examined more than 2,000 business executives found that 81% of the features that differentiated high-performing executives from others emanate from competencies that depend on emotional intelligence. Also, according to the results of Boyatzis research (2005), 93% of competencies affecting the financial performance of company are those that depend on emotional intelligence. Results of a meta analysis examining 69 research studies regarding emotional intelligence and performance revealed that emotional intelligence has an undeniable importance on work performance (Van Rooy & Viswervaran, 2005). According to the results of research using school headmasters, there is a strong relationship with headmasters continuing with the same school by students during the whole duration of education (Sala, 2003). In this context, this study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and school success. The dependent variable of the study is success of the school on the high school entrance examination in Turkey (the OKS), while the independent variable is the emotional intelligence of schools headmasters (Figure 1).
Independant Variables Self-awareness H1a Self-management Social Awareness H1b H1c H1d Dependant Variable

Emotioanal Intelligence of Headmaster

Social Skills

H2a Emotional Intelligence of Teacher Self-awareness H2b Self-management Social Awareness H2c H2d

School Success

Social Skills
Figure 1: Hypothesis and Research Model

This study, therefore, hypothesizes the following:

1. H1: There is a relationship between emotional intelligence of primary schools headmasters and the schools success.
A) There is a relationship between the self-awareness component of emotional intelligence of primary schools headmasters and the schools success. B) There is a relationship between the self-management component of emotional intelligence of primary schools headmasters and the schools success. C) There is a relationship between the social awareness component of emotional intelligence of primary schools headmasters and the schools success.

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D) There is a relationship between the social skills component of emotional intelligence of primary schools headmasters and the schools success.

2. H2: There is a relationship between the emotional intelligence of primary school teachers and the schools success.

A) There is a relationship between the self-awareness component of emotional intelligence of primary school teachers and the schools success. B) There is a relationship between the self-management component of emotional intelligence of primary school teachers and the schools success. C) There is a relationship between the social awareness component of emotional intelligence of primary school teachers and the schools success. D) There is a relationship between the social skills component of emotional intelligence of primary school teachers and the schools success.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Sample This study was carried out among headmasters and teachers of the public schools in Isparta city center. It does not include private schools. Among schools in the studys range, 46 of 49 could be investigated. During the research period, surveys were distributed to headmasters and teachers in each school. All of the school headmasters (46) and 50% of the school teachers (556) completed valid surveys. All managers involved are males with an average age of 46.2 (SS=5.1). Headmasters experience as a manager averaged 14 years (SS=7.6). They had worked at the same school an average of 4.20 years (SS=2.41). Most of headmasters (91%) have an undergraduate degree. Among the teachers, 59% included in this study are males with an average age of 36.7 years (SS=9.4). Teachers had worked for the same school for an average of 4.30 years (SS=3.21), and 87% have an undergraduate degree. Emotional Intelligence Inventory For this research, the Emotional Competence Inventory (second version) was used to consider headmasters and teachers emotional intelligence. The inventory, developed by Goleman and Boyatzis, includes 73 expressions, which are intended to elicit the four components in Golemans model and the emotional competencies completing these components (ECI Instructions, 2002). All of the expresssions, except for 12, are positive in ECI. Each expression includes an associated Likert scale with 5 degrees, where 5 equals strongly agree and 1 strongly disagree. According to this inventory, expressions given high points indicate that peson has high emotional intelligence, while expressions given low points indicate the opposite. In this study, each manager has a total emotional intelligence scrore and scores on the four components of emotional intelligence. Further, teachers emotional intelligence was calculated by taking their average scores on the survey. Cronbach values, which are calculated for each expression in the inventory and formats (for each expression 0.81; for formats in order, 0.73, 0.72, 0.76, and 0.77) exhibits that the inventory has interval consistency. School Success School success was assessed by the number of students who successfully passed the 2006 OKS exam. OKS is an exam admininsterd centrally in order to place students in appropriate programmes following primary school. For each school, a success percentage was calculated by dividing the number of students successful on the exam to the total number of students who completed the exam. Data for this measure was taken from the Ministry of National Education. FINDINGS
This research revealed that primary school headmasters total emotional intelligence score is related to the success of their school (Table 1). This relationship is positive to a medium degree. According to this research, school success is parallel to the headmasters emotional intelligence. This relationship is also the same in terms of the individual components of emotional intelligence; thus, Hypotheses 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d are supported. It was also discovered that the order of the components in relation with school success were: (1) social awareness, (2) social skills, and (3) self-management. The relationship between these components and the schools success is in a positive direction to a medium degree. According to this research, therefore, increasing the abilities of the headmaster to understand others emotions, managing those emotions, and controlling his own emotions will increase the schools success. The self-awareness component had

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the lowest relationship with school success. The relationship between school success and the self-awareness component of emotional intelligence is in positive direction to a low degree. Although the relationship is very low, increment in the headmasters self-awareness component also increases school success.
Table I: Headmasters Emotional Intelligence and Correlation Matrix of School Success O SS (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (1) Total Emotional Intelligence 4,01 0,37 1,00 (2) Self-awareness 3,90 0,40 0,81** 1,00 (3) Self-management 3,92 0,34 0,92** 0,70** 1,00 (4) Social Awareness 4,20 0,45 0,87** 0,64** 0,72** 1,00 ** ** (5) Social Skills 4,06 0,45 0,96 0,72 0,83** 0,82** 1,00 (6) School Success 38,61 17,97 0,51** 0,32* 0,48** 0,51** 0,48** *p<0,05 **p<0,01 (6)

1,00

Regarding the results of this study for teachers, total emotional intelligence scores of teachers and the schools success for which they work have a strong relationship (Table II). This relation is, like headmasters, on a positive direction to a medium degree. Increment in teachers emotional intelligence increases the school success. The four components of the teachers emotional intelligence are strongly related to the schools success; thus, Hypotheses 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d are also supported. Only the self-management component has a medium degree relationship with school success. The other three components relationships are positive, but to a low degree. Accordingly, particularly the increment of teacher self-management of increases the schools success. Headmasters and teachers seem to have similar correlation factors when their total emotional intelligence is compared. Beyond this, teachers and headmasters have differences in of the four components of emotional intelligence. Although the social awareness component of emotional intelligence of headmasters is most related to school success, for teachers the most related component is self-management component. Further, headmasters have only one component related to a low degree, but teachers have only one related to a medium degree. This means, therefore, that headmasters emotional intelligence is more related to the schools success than that of teachers.
Table II: Teachers Emotional Intelligence and Correlation Matrix of School Success O SS (1) (2) (3) (4) (1) Total Emotional Intelligence 3,95 0,16 1,00 (2) Self-awareness 3,85 0,15 0,71** 1,00 (3) Self-management 3,84 0,15 0,92** 0,67** 1,00 (4) Social Awareness 4,17 0,19 0,82** 0,72** 0,65** 1,00 (5) Social Skills 3,96 0,16 0,93** 0,64** 0,81** 0,78** (6) School Success 38,61 17,97 0,49** 0,37* 0,45** 0,39** *p<0,05 **p<0,01 (5) (6)

1,00 0,34**

1,00

In this study, regression analysis was completed to specify the effect of emotional intelligence components on school success. In the analysis, the Stepwise Regression Model, which chooses the most effective independent component on the dependant component, is preferred. At the end of the analysis, only one significant model was achieved. According to the model, headmasters and teachers emotional intelligence explains 39% of school success. Among headmasters the social awareness component and among teachers the self-management component affect school success most significantly. As shown in Table III, one unit increment in headmasters social awareness causes a 0.45 unit increment in school success, while a one unit increment in a teachers self-management component causes a 0.37 unit increment in school success.
Table III: Regression Model Beta St.Hata St.Beta t p (Stationary) -205,83 55,14 -3,73 0,00** Social Awareness (Headmaster) 17,95 4,83 0,45 3,72 0,00** Self-management (Teacher) 44,07 14,26 0,37 3,09 0,00** R=0,63; R2=0,39; F=13,97, p=0,00<0,01 *p<0,05 **p<0,01

RESULTS Research results deduced that primary school headmasters and teachers emotional intelligence is clearly related to school success. This result is parallel to studies conducted abroad that examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and work performance. It also confirms the importance of emotional intelligence and its power to estimate work performance.

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Among headmasters, the social awareness, social skills, and self-management components of emotional intelligence are related to school success. According to this study, headmasters abilities to appreciate others emotions, requirements, and interests and manage relationships with others effect school success in a positive way. In addition, the ability to actively manage their inner emotions, resources, and inducements in order to reach goals are helpful for the headmaster to be successful. For teachers, the self-management component of emotional intelligence is particularly related to school success. This means that the teachers ability to control emotions increases the schools success. Despite the differences in component relationships between teachers total emotional intelligence score and the schools success is similar to relation between headmasters emotional intelligence and school success. It is possible to say, therefore, that both the headmasters and teachers emotional intelligence is important. Further, the headmasters and teachers emotional intelligence complement one another because different components among each lead to school success. The regression results exhibit that the headmasters social awareness component and the teachers selfmanagement component have a significant effect on school success. One of this studys limitations is that it only examined a single city. This study may be acceptable, however, because the participants are living in the same area and working under similar conditions. It is recommended that this study be replicated with a larger group of participants with different areas in order to confirm the results. Another limitation of the study is that the headmasters and teachers scientific intelligence is not scaled. For this reason, it is recommended that in later studies the scientific intelligence of participants is scaled with emotional intelligence, and at what level of emotional intelligence effects work performance with respect to scientific intelligence. As a result of this study, it is recommended that headmasters and teachers at the same school study plans for developing their emotional intelligence. It should be considered that the social awareness, social skills, and selfmanagement components are crucial for headmasters, while the self-management component among teachers have the highest impact on school success. REFERENCES
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