Emotional intelligence and academic success of undergraduates of two kulliyyahs, IIUM

Abstract

This study explores the state of IIUM KOED and IIUM KOE students’ emotional intelligence and academic success. 103 and 113 of the KOED and the KOE students were chosen respectively using purposive sampling. Data were collected by distributing questionnaires using online Google document and manual distribution. Two instruments were used the Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) to measure emotional intelligence and the Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS) to assess students’ academic success. The Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) measured four subscales: perception of emotions, managing own emotions, managing others’ emotions, and utilization of emotions. The Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS) measured ten subscales: general academic skills, internal motivation/confidence, perceived instructor efficacy, concentration, external motivation/future, socializing, career decidedness, lack of anxiety, personal adjustment, and external motivation/current. Descriptive i.e. frequency distributions, percentages, mean scores and standard deviations, and inferential statistics namely one-way ANOVA, independent t-test, Pearson moment correlation, and multiple regression analysis were utilized in analysing data. Findings showed that there were no significant differences of students’ emotional intelligence based their age, gender, CGPA, level of study, and specialization for the KOED. Yet, specialization indicate significant difference in students’ emotional intelligence for the KOE. There was significant difference in the KOED students’ academic success based their age, CGPA, and specialization. Significant and moderate positive relationship was gauged between the students’ emotional intelligence and their academic success for both kulliyyahs. Emotional intelligence was a good predictor for academic success for both kulliyyahs. Gender and CGPA were found to have significance influence on the KOED students’ academic success. Thus, it is possible to deduce from this study that emotional intelligence has significant influence on the students’ academic success. Future research may consider bigger sample size, variations in the population, and to consider other mediating variables in explaining relationship between emotional intelligence and academic success.