The Effect of a Classroom-Based Emotional Intelligence Intervention on Students' Self-Regulation and Academic Engagement: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been identified as a critical factor in students' academic success, with research suggesting that students with higher EI exhibit better self-regulation abilities and increased academic engagement. However, limited evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of classroom-based interventions created to improve emotional intelligence skills in educational settings, especially in the UAE. Our research hypothesized that students receiving a structured classroom-based emotional intelligence intervention would demonstrate significantly greater improvements in self-regulation and academic engagement compared to a control group receiving standard instruction. This randomized controlled trial employed a pre-test/post-test design with 200 UG students (ages 18-21) randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n=100) or a control group (n=100). The intervention group received a 12-week classroom-based emotional intelligence program focusing on emotion recognition, understanding, and regulation skills.

The researchers used the Salum International Resources Emotional Intelligence Self-Evaluation, and the academic engagement was measured using their scores on class participation and Black engagement Board analytics. The Emotional Intelligence scale and self-reports were the sources for self-regulation. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance, where the pre-test scores were treated as covariates. The result of the study indicates a significant difference between groups at posttests, especially for academic engagement and self-regulation. The research conclusions indicate high efficacy of classroom based emotional intelligence interventions on participants’ self-regulation and academic engagement.