Emotional intelligence training intervention among trainee teachers: a quasi-experimental study

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) has often been linked to improvements in professional performance. Indeed, generic competencies related to EI have been included in university curricula. However, learning EI involves significant time and effort on the part of students, and this may hinder the acquisition of specific content for each degree. In this study, an intervention to develop EI in higher education students is described and evaluated. Methods: The intervention consisted of eight group sessions performed in a regular course aiming to increase EI. The sessions included strategies and training on perceiving and understanding one’s own emotions and others’ emotions, identifying and understanding the impact one’s own feelings in adopting decisions, expressing one’s own emotions and the stress experienced, and managing both one’s own emotions and emotions of others. Participants were 192 students studying for a Master of Primary Education degree. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was adopted. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated using multi-level analyses. Results: The results showed a significant improvement in the EI of students in the experimental group compared with the control group. Conclusions: This research demonstrates that it is possible to develop EI in higher education students, without hindering the acquisition of specific content competencies and, therefore, without interfering with their academic performance and without overburdening students with work outside the classroom. Trial registration: The experiment has been registered in the Initial Deposit of the Spanish Center for Sociological Research (CIS). 7/6/2015. http://www.cis.es/cis/opencms/ES/index.html.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Grant number EDU2015-64562-R

A UK-wide analysis of trait emotional intelligence in occupational therapists

Background/aims Emotional intelligence enables recognition, understanding and management of emotions of self and others, supporting development of communication, relationship building and engagement skills. The application of emotional intelligence supports technical and non-technical competence, facilitating confidence, leadership and capability in the workplace. This study profiles trait emotional intelligence in a sample of UK occupational therapists and explores its relationships with a range of demographic and self-rated job satisfaction variables. Methods A UK-wide online survey of occupational therapists was carried out, which included the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Short Form). A total of 808 participants responded. Three main analyses investigated differences between the occupational sample and wider population, the subgroups (gender and work role), as well as the relationships between emotional intelligence and demographic and job satisfaction variables. Results Analyses highlighted that occupational therapists scored higher than the population norms for global emotional intelligence and on each of the four subfactors. Within the study sample, a significant gender difference was observed for emotionality (lower among men); self-control was significantly correlated with age and years since qualification. Increased satisfaction in the job scores were consistently and strongly associated with emotional intelligence scores. Salary band was positively associated with emotional intelligence. Conclusions: The findings consider the potential impact of emotional intelligence levels on performance and leadership, vital in today's climate of emerging practice and less traditional roles for occupational therapists. This study has shown that occupational therapists scored higher than the population norms for Global emotional intelligence and on each of the four emotional intelligence subfactors. Emotional intelligence abilities are associated with perceived competence of the occupational therapist, with implications for job satisfaction and wellbeing. Understanding and using the emotions of self and others to inform thinking and behaviour undoubtedly influences practitioner effectiveness. Future research is required to extrapolate the influence of Trait Emotional Intelligence upon professional abilities, increasing understanding of emotional intelligence and its impact upon effective occupational therapy practice