Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement Among Malaysian Secondary Students

Classrooms are always filled with youngsters displaying a wide range of concerns and behavioral problems that often make learning in the classroom difficult and ineffective. Students are often found to suffer from poor self-awareness, low self-esteem, lack of motivation, little self-discipline, poor peer interaction, an inability to express feelings effectively, and sometimes, a significant amount of emotional pain such as feeling sad, unhappy, anxious, frustrated, and angry. Based on the concept and model of Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) by Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso (1997), the authors discuss how the mechanism of EQ can enhance students' emotional competency which in tum improve their learning in the classroom. Present study was conducted in 5 secondary schools in the state of Selangor, Malaysia, to examine students' overall level of EQ and the relationship between students' level of EQ and their level of negative affect (anxiety, anger, and frustration) towards specific school tasks and academic achievement. Research findings indicate that there is linear negative relationship between students' level of EQ and their level of negative affect towards specific school tasks, and positive linear relationship between EQ and academic achievement. Findings also indicate positive relationship between EQ and gender differences.