Nexus between Emotional Intelligence and Teacher Effectiveness: A Quantitative Study in Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and teacher effectiveness in higher education institutions in Pakistan. Recognizing the increasing significance of emotional intelligence (EI) competencies in educational settings, this research explores how various dimensions of EI—self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills—contribute to effective teaching practices. A descriptive quantitative design was employed, with data collected from 353 participants, including students and faculty members from Universities of Swat and University of Malakand. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess the emotional intelligence of teachers and to evaluate their effectiveness based on students' perceptions. Mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analyses were conducted using the SPSS software. The results revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.681, p < 0.01) between emotional intelligence and teacher effectiveness. Among the five EI dimensions, motivation emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by empathy, social skills, self-awareness and self-regulation. The regression model explained approximately 52.3% of the variance in the effectiveness of the teachers. These findings highlight the important role of EI in shaping effective teaching behaviors and the need to integrate EI development into teacher training, recruitment, and professional development programs. This study recommends a greater institutional emphasis on emotional competencies to foster student-centered, emotionally supportive learning environments.