Emotional intelligence (EI) how people understand, adjust, and monitor their emotions. And this is especially relevant when discussing emotional intelligence for men, who often face pressure to minimise or ignore their emotional experiences. EI can help to improve both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, which are both important for academic performance. In terms of interpersonal skills, having a higher EI leads to stronger relationship-building skills, which enhances intellectual development, which can then lead to improved academic performance. The importance of EI in terms of intrapersonal development is related to motivation and self-regulation; having high levels of those skills then leads to behaviours that help to foster good academic performance (due to better management of time and stress).
The relationship between emotional intelligence and academic success has been explored in detail. For instance, according to a meta-analysis of 158 papers, emotional intelligence was the third largest predictor of academic performance after intelligence and conscientiousness. This meta-analysis suggested that the mechanisms of the link between EI and academic success were related to regulating academic emotions, building social relationships, and the overlap of academic content with EI topics.
According to a systematic review of 20 studies, the effect of emotional intelligence on academic achievement was medium. This suggests that high academic success is in part increased when a student also has high emotional intelligence. As the effect was medium, as opposed to high, other factors may also affect academic success (which is also suggested by the above meta-analysis). For example, researchers found that final-year students had a higher level of external motivation and career decidedness than the other students.
In a study conducted in dental colleges in India, it has shown that for final-year students, having high EI was also linked with higher socialisation, more sleep, and more likelihood to do physical exercise. One reason why the final-year students have better skills that lead to academic success (external motivation, more socialisation, career decidedness, and better physical exercise levels) could be that through their studies, their EI skills have improved. This likely takes place via an extracurricular mode, with students learning EI skills from the lecturers, and other students or by attending extra EI training outside of their main learning hours.
Since EI is a key predictor of success, it can be suggested that it should be included in the curriculum. This would provide a more direct exposure to EI skills, as opposed to students learning about it incidentally or in their spare time (out of class). This idea is further supported by a 2003 study where students were trained on EI skills and found that the academic performance was increased to a larger amount compared to those students who did not receive EI training as part of the curriculum.
Future research should therefore explore the extent to which engagement in curricular activities correlates with academic success among students. This can provide valuable insights into the potential academic benefits of integrating curricular activities into education in terms of a more holistic development of students.
Incorporating emotional intelligence (EI) into educational curricula appears to hold significant potential for enhancing academic performance. By fostering skills such as self-regulation, motivation, and relationship-building, students can better manage stress, improve time management, and build supportive social networks, all of which contribute to academic success.
Evidence from various studies, including meta-analyses and specific research on EI training, underscores its medium-to-strong impact on academic achievement. While other factors, such as intelligence and conscientiousness, also play a role, integrating EI training directly into curricula could provide students with consistent, structured opportunities to develop these critical skills. Such an approach would not only support academic outcomes but also promote holistic personal and professional development.
