The role of emotional intelligence in higher education—an empirical study of business student’ performance

Sebastian Kubala; Elza Sipola

doi:10.55225/pel.684

Authors

Sebastian Kubala Krakow University of Economics, Department of Organizational Development, Kraków, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4021-9173
Elza Sipola Riga Aeronautical Institute, Riga, Latvia https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7297-4093

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55225/pel.684

Keywords:

emotional intelligence, higher education, academic performance, student development, TEIQue-SF questionnaire

Abstract

This article examines the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in higher education, exploring its key competencies and role in educational processes. Against the backdrop of rapid technological development and labor market transformation, emotional intelligence has become increasingly valuable for professions that cannot be easily automated. The study presents empirical research conducted among 41 first- and second-year students of the Business Development Strategies program at the University of Economics in Krakow. Using the standardized TEIQue-SF questionnaire, the researchers analyzed emotional intelligence levels and their relationship with academic performance between the gender and academic year groups. Statistical analysis included normality tests (Shapiro-Wilk), homogeneity of variance tests (Bartlett), ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation analysis. The results indicate that there are no statistically significant differences in EI levels between genders or academic years, and a weak positive correlation between emotional intelligence and academic grades. These findings highlight the potential to develop emotional competencies as a supporting element in teaching and learning effectiveness. The study recommends systematic integration of emotional intelligence development programs in higher education curricula and suggests future research directions including longitudinal studies and mixed-method approaches to better understand EI's impact on academic success.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ayoub, A.E.A., Aljughaiman, A.M., Alabbasi, A.M.A., Hamza, E.G.A. (2022). Do different types of intelligence and its implicit theories vary based on gender and grade level? Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 712330. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.712330. Google Scholar

Bitar, A., Amnelius, L., Kristoffersson, E., Boman, J. (2023). Emotional intelligence among medical students in Sweden – a questionnaire study. BMC Medical Education, 23, 603. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04570-0. Google Scholar

Campbell, R. (2016). Emotional intelligence. Radical Mentoring. Available at: https://radicalmentoring.com/emotional-intelligence-eq/ [access: 2024-12-21). Google Scholar

CareerBuilder. (2011). Seventy-one percent of employers say they value emotional intelligence over IQ, according to CareerBuilder Survey. CareerBuilder Press releases. Available at: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seventy-one-percent-of-employers-say-they-value-emotional-intelligence-over-iq-according-to-careerbuilder-survey-127995518.html [access: 2024-12-21]. Google Scholar

De Souza, C.B., Jacomuzzi, A.C. (2025). The role of university professors’ emotional competencies in students’ academic and psychological well-being: A systematic review. Education Sciences, 15(17), 882. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070882. Google Scholar

Estrada, M., Monferrer, D., Rodriguez, A., Moliner, M.Á. (2021). Does emotional intelligence influence academic performance? The role of compassion and engagement in education for sustainable development. Sustainability, 13(4), 1721. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041721. Google Scholar

Eternal professions that will always be in demand. Available at: https://blog.maximumtest.ru/post/vechnye-professii-kotorye-ne-ischeznut-v-blizhajshem-budushchem.html [access: 2024-12-21]. Google Scholar

Galanakis, M., Krana, L., Nikola, M. (2021). Emotional Intelligence in primary school teachers: The effect of gender, age and tenure. Psychology, 12(11), 1781–1789. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2021.1211107. Google Scholar

Gokhale, N. (2024). Importance of emotional intelligence in higher education. The Hindu. Available at: https://www.thehindu.com/education/importance-of-emotional-intelligence-in-higher-education/article67696514.ece [access: 2024-12-21]. Google Scholar

Halimi, F., AlShammari, I., Navarro, C. (2020). Emotional intelligence and academic achievement in higher education. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 13(2), 485–503. https://doi.org/10.1108/jarhe-11-2019-0286. Google Scholar

Landry, L. (2019). Why emotional intelligence is important in leadership. Harvard Business School Online: Business Insights. Available at: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/emotional-intelligence-in-leadership [access: 2024-12-21]. Google Scholar

Mahmud, S.A., Saleem, Q., Mehfooz, Q., Amjad, N., Sarfaraz, F., Baig, M.M.A. (2025). The role of emotional intelligence in academic performance: A behavioral approach. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(5), 1503–1510. https://doi.org/10.53555/0k9j2238. Google Scholar

Petrides, K.V., Furnham, A. (2006). The role of trait emotional intelligence in a gender-specific model of organizational variables. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36(2), 552–569. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00019.x. Google Scholar

Yashkova, Y., Xuefen, L., Jenatabadi, H.S., Samsudin, N., Chunchun, K., Ishak, Z. (2024). Emotional intelligence impact on academic achievement and psychological well-being among university students: the mediating role of positive psychological characteristics. BMC Psychology, 12, 389. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01886-4. Google Scholar

Shrestha, B. (2025). Emotional intelligence and academic performance of students: Exploring sustainable higher education. Academia Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2, 26–36. https://doi.org/10.3126/ajhss.v2i1.77158. Google Scholar

Sk, S., Halder, S. (2020). Critical thinking disposition of undergraduate students in relation to emotional intelligence: Gender as a moderator. Heliyon, 6(11), e05477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05477. Google Scholar

The 5 [five] elements of emotional intelligence. Available at: https://www.icaew.com/insights/student-insights/student-insights-2021-archive/the-5-elements-of-emotional-intelligence [access: 2024-12-21]. Google Scholar

Ubago-Jiménez, J.L., Zurita-Ortega, F., Ortega-Martín, J.L., Melguizo-Ibáñez, E. (2024). Impact of emotional intelligence and academic self-concept on the academic performance of educational sciences undergraduates. Heliyon, 10(8), e29476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29476. Google Scholar

Wakde, H. (2021). Effect of academic achievement of under-graduate students on their emotional intelligence. Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies, 9(68), 16115–16122. Google Scholar