The role of emotional intelligence in the development of adolescents’ social and emotional skills, abilities and academic performance after the transition to secondary school

Previous research demonstrates that pupils do not always have the necessary emotional intelligence (EI) to cope with the transition to secondary school successfully. This thesis explores whether an intervention designed to enhance key emotional intelligence can impact positively on students’ academic performance after a secondary school transition. The intervention was designed with reference to six teacher interviews and seven classroom observations of children who had recently transitioned to secondary school. Sixty children aged 11-12 years took part in the intervention which involved six group sessions. The outcomes of the intervention were assessed through pre-, post- and eight-month follow-up self-report questionnaires administered to the children. Findings demonstrate that the intervention had a significant positive impact on affective disposition and behavioural conduct from pre- to post test. Furthermore, all sub-constructs in the IRI empathy measure (empathic concern, perspective taking, fantasy scale and personal distress), as well as the adaptability, self-motivation, low impulsivity, peer relations, emotional regulation, behavioural conduct and overall EI showed a statistically significant increase at the follow-up phase. Multiple regressions revealed that empathy can significantly predict academic achievement. Qualitative measures were also used after the intervention to capture a rich and in-depth insight into the mechanisms that facilitate EI change and the pupils’ perceptions of the role of EI during the transition period. Thematic analysis demonstrated a positive movement in the group’s coping strategies and practices. This research highlights the positive influence that context-specific interventions can have, based on the inclusion of an exploratory phase before and after designing and delivering such programmes. The results are discussed in terms of implications for schools, practitioners and researchers and suggestions are made for further studies in this under-researched area.