Enhancing Academic Success Through Emotional Intelligence

Academic achievement is an essential part of a student’s success in education, which often determines their future path. Several factors have been outlined as prominent predictors of one’s academic success, which allow demonstrating exceptional abilities in the learning environment (Mancini et al., 2017). Such qualities as motivation, discipline, and self-esteem can positively affect a learner’s accomplishments.

However, multiple scientific studies conducted throughout the past decade highlight emotional intelligence (EI) as a substantial attribute of academic attainment, improving such abilities as social competence, cognitive abilities, and affection control (Sánchez-Álvarez et al., 2020). Although the exact relationship between EI and educational achievement is yet to be established, it is evident that EI is a vital role player in academic success.

A distinct feature connected to an elevated level of EI is the efficient maintenance of interpersonal relationships, which is vital for creating a supportive educational atmosphere. Several studies report that students with higher EI can productively establish and sustain various social networks and connections, which increases the likelihood of academic success (Johnson, 2016). Managing communication with different peers requires a significant degree of emotional competence, including social awareness and relationship skills.

In this regard, learners who demonstrate greater EI have been found to successfully manage both peer interaction and educational requirements, presenting higher rates of academic achievement (MacCann et al., 2020). By understanding other individuals’ emotions and assessing the characteristics of social situations, these students maintain a necessary level of social support, creating a strong foundation for educational accomplishment.

EI also appears to be closely correlated with enhanced cognitive ability. Cognitive development and performance are prominent predictors of exceptional academic success, offering the students the possibility to attain the most favorable results (MacCann et al., 2020). Recent investigations claim that learners with advanced emotional competency are more likely to improve their cognitive abilities, which often results in better critical thinking, decision-making, and information processing (Sánchez-Álvarez et al., 2020). Thus, students with higher EI have a lucrative potential to enhance their cognitive performance through the use of emotional information, further facilitating their thinking processes (MacCann et al., 2020). Considering this connection, greater EI can enable individuals to achieve greater educational outcomes.

Another pertinent feature of heightened EI is substantial self-awareness, leading to better control of one’s emotions in various scenarios. As such, emotional competence allows learners to manage the manifestations of stress and anxiety during challenging situations, namely tests, exams, and other forms of evaluation (Brackett et al., 2011). Sustaining critical thinking and focusing on the assignment rather than on controlling emotional output is a vital trait that correlates with academic achievement and aids in attaining higher scores.

In addition, increased EI has been reported to alleviate the negative consequences of stress-inducing situations, prompting the students to return to their studies sooner (Mancini et al., 2017). Therefore, enhanced EI can greatly contribute to the gained level of educational accomplishment, negating the damaging impact of anxiety.

To conclude, the contribution of EI to educational attainment was examined in detail in this essay, clarifying that emotional competence is a vital factor in educational achievement. Increased emotional skills are crucial traits that can positively influence the students’ attainment levels through social competence, cognitive performance, and emotional management, promoting the learners’ levels of success. It is evident that maintaining peer connections, developing cognitive capabilities, and overcoming stress are essential for the process of education. Given that heightened EI can significantly improve one’s success in these areas, EI is a prominent attribute in students’ academic performance.

References

Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., & Salovey, P. (2011). Emotional intelligence: Implications for personal, social, academic, and workplace success. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(1), 88–103. Web.

Johnson, B. (2016). Impact of emotional intelligence on academic achievement and leadership. BMH Medical Journal – ISSN 2348–392X, 3(4), 94–99.

MacCann, C., Jiang, Y., Brown, L. E. R., Double, K. S., Bucich, M., & Minbashian, A. (2020). Emotional intelligence predicts academic performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(2), 150–186. Web.

Mancini, G., Andrei, F., Mazzoni, E., Biolcati, R., Baldaro, B., & Trombini, E. (2017). Brief report: Trait emotional intelligence, peer nominations, and scholastic achievement in adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 59, 129–133. Web.

Sánchez-Álvarez, N., Berrios Martos, M. P., & Extremera, N. (2020). A Meta-analysis of the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic performance in secondary education: A multi-stream comparison. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. Web.

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