Emotional Intelligence in the Context of Learning and Achievement

This chapter is concerned primarily with emotional intelligence (EI) as it relates to learning and achievement in an academic setting. It aim s to assist researchers, educators, and politicians alike to decide what aspects of EI are worthwhile to promote and are possible to teach in schooI. We first discuss the conceptualization of EI on which the present contribution is based, and provide an overview of existing p rograms for fostering EI in schools. Based on some major flaw s we have identified in these programs , we present a framework of antecedents, "intelligent" processing, and effects of academic emotions. Subsequently, a model for fostering EI in academic learning and achievement situation s is presented, and tang i-ble instructional suggestions are provided. The chapter closes with implications for research and scholastic applications. 11.1 INTRODUCTION "I am not that good at emotions." This real-life response is what a male student wrote on the top of a questionnaire on academic emotions (emotions di-most likely as an excuse for not completing the survey (MoHenter, 1999). What does it mean to "not be good at emotions"? How could we have prevented this student from developing such poor judgment of his emotional seH? With respect to the first question, the student perhaps thought his knowledge about emotions was too limited, that he was not aware of his own emotions, or that he could not adequately deal with them. The latter question is also a difficult one to answer. Perhaps, apart from socialization authorities such as parents, it is the task of educational institutions to teach students knowledge and skills concerning one of the most important areas of human functioning: emotions. In light of the host of diverse conceptualizations of emotional intelligence (EI: see Matthews, Zeidner, & Roberts, 2002), one must first decide on a definitio of this construct that is adequate to apply to learning and achievement. Studies investigating EI in the classroom usually lack a theoretical framework (Zeid-ner, Roberts, & Matthews, 2002), or do not explicate the bases for the choice of their employed construct (cf. In choosing an adequate theory of EI for academic learning and achievemen: situations, we considered the following criteria. The theory should: 1. be consistent with the cognitively referenced conceptualization of intelligence (see Mackintosh, 2001; Sternberg, 1997), 2. need a minimal number of context-specific modifications and supplements , 3. be suitable for operationalization and evaluation, and 4. be conducive …