PRINCIPALS’SELF-AWARENESS, SELF-REGULATION AND EMPATHY OF THEIR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE FOR STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN OGBA/EGBEMA/NDONI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The study examined principals’ self-awareness, self-regulation and empathy of their emotional intelligence for students’ academic achievement in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State. The descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population of this study comprised all the 27 junior secondary schools in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State. The sample for this study comprised of 27junior secondary schools in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State. The researcher adopted the census sampling technique to sample 27 schools out of 27 schools. The instrument used for data collection was titled: “Principals’ Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation and Empathy of their Emotional Intelligence for Students’ Academic Achievement Questionnaire (PSSEEISAAQ)”. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions while t-test was used to test the hypotheses at .05 levels of significance. The SPSS version 23 was used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that emotional intelligence of principals on self-awareness helps to set realistic and reasonable goals and to know their strength and limitations; on self-regulation, it helps principals to have control over their emotions promote their active engagements in leadership. On empathy, it helps Principals to share the feelings of others and predict the behavior of his subordinates, among others. Therefore, the study recommended that emotional intelligence should be expressed by both the school heads and classroom teachers alike in the learning process knowing that when they possess the ability to understand students' reactions from their own perspective and demonstrate sensitive awareness of the educational dynamics, it will positively enhance effective learning. Further, emotional intelligence should be expressed among school principals in order to foster active participation in leadership, positive educational outcomes among the learners.