EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AS CORRELATE OF INTEREST AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MATHEMATICS IN ENUGU STATE
Abstract
This study determined emotional intelligence as correlate of interest and academic achievement of senior secondary school students in mathematics in Enugu State. The researcher employed a Correlational survey research design for this study. The study focused on a population of 2,946 Mathematics students, from which a sample of 294 students was selected. A stratified proportionate sampling technique was used to ensure fair representation across different groups. Data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire titled “Emotional Intelligence as Correlates of Interest and Academic Achievement of Students in Mathematics Questionnaire (EICIAASMQ)”. To validate the instrument, the researcher consulted three experts from Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT): two from the Department of Educational Foundations and one from the Measurement and Evaluation unit of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Education. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested through a trial involving 20 students from public secondary schools in Anambra State, and the Cronbach’s Alpha method was used to check internal consistency. The reliability coefficients for the four clusters were 0.79, 0.81, 0.80, and 0.82, resulting in an overall reliability index of 0.80, indicating that the instrument was suitable for the study. To analyze the data, the researcher applied Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient to address the research questions and linear regression to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that there was a high relationship between emotional intelligence (self-awareness and self-regulation) and students’ interest and academic achievement of senior secondary school students in mathematics in Enugu State. In line with the findings, the study recommended that schools should embed self-awareness and self-regulation programs into mathematics teaching, helping students manage emotions and sustain interest in learning.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abdulrasheed, O. & Bello, A. S. (2015). Challenges to secondary school principals’ leadership in northern region of Nigeria. British Journal of Education, 3(3), 1-5.
Adolphus, J. (2015). Analysis of student errors in solving trigonometry problems. International Journal of Educational Research and Development, 5(3), 45–52.
Agwagah, U. (2014). Mathematics: The study of quantity, structure, space, and change. In Obiweluozo, F. (Ed.), Mathematics and its applications (pp. 12–25). University Press.
Akinoso, S. O. (2015). Teaching mathematics in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. International Journal of Educational Research and Development, 5(2), 1–8.
Anbalagan, S. (2017). Inquiry-Based Learning: Revolutionizing Education. 21K School. Retrieved from https://www.21kschool.com/ke/blog/inquiry-based-learning/
Asanre, A. (2024). Achievement, interest, mathematics, motivation, students. Mathematics and Science Research Journal, 1(1), 1–10.
Bentil, J. (2021). Study habits and academic performance among public junior high school students in the Ekumfi District: Investigating the controlling effect of learning styles. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies, 8(6).
Bukar, A. A. (2023). Emotional intelligence and academic performance of secondary school students in Yobe State, Nigeria. International Journal of Innovative Psychology & Social Development, 11(2), 45–56.
Entoh, M., & Abdullah, R. (2019). The impact of technology integration on students’ academic performance in secondary schools. International Journal of Educational Technology, 10(2), 45–58.
Ewim, E. E., Unachukwu, G. O., & Ugwu, C. O. (2020). The Role of Character Education Toward National Values Actualization.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2013). National policy on education (4th Eds). Lagos: NERDC Press.
Goleman, D. (2018). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Books.
Kihwele, J. E., & Mkomwa, J. (2023). Promoting students' interest and achievement in mathematics through the "King and Queen of Mathematics" initiative. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 16(1), 115–133.
Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (2019). The intelligence of emotional intelligence. Basic Books.
Nnaji, T. O., Eze, E. C., & Madu, L. O. (2020). Assessment of emotional intelligence and its relationship with students’ achievement in mathematics.
Nneji, S. O. (2013). Effect of Polya George's problem-solving model on students' achievement and retention in algebra. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 3(6), 41–48.
Nyangarika, A. & Kapinga, B. B. (2020). Influence of heads of school’s leadership practices on teachers’ job performance in secondary schools. International Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education, 6(5), 1826-1838.
Obiakor, M. I., & Oguejioffor, C. N. (2020). Impact of classroom size on academic performance of secondary school students in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. African Journal of Educational Management, Teaching and Entrepreneurship Studies, 1(1), 51–59.
Ogbu, J. O. (2014). Principals’ motivational strategies and teacher job satisfaction in Benue State. Unpublished thesis. Department of Educational Foundations University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Okochi, A. (2019). Human Capital Development and Industrial Sector Growth in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Management Sciences, 8(2), 33–45.
Okoza, J. (2016). Secondary school pupils’ perception of environmental variables influencing academic performance in Edo State, Nigeria, Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology. 9(2), 84-94.
Oyewunmi, A., Osinbajo, O., & Adeniji, T. (2016). Emotional intelligence and academic achievement of students in selected Nigerian schools. University of Lagos Institutional Repository.
Parvaiz, O. & Khalid, I. (2021). School climate: Research, policy, practice, and teacher education. Teachers College Record, 111(1), 180–213.
Salami, S. O. (2011). Emotional intelligence and academic achievement among Nigerian adolescents. European Journal of Educational Studies, 3(2), 123–131.
You, Z. (2021). Math interest on primary school students' mathematics achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(2), 310–320.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Henry Anayochukwu Onoh, Emeka James Onaga, Constance Chichebem Agbo
ISSN (PRINT): 2734 - 2522
ISSN (ONLINE): 2734 - 2514
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.