An Exploration into Teachers\u27 Perceptions of School Leaders\u27 Emotional Intelligence

Although the benefits of school leader emotional intelligence are well-known, leadership preparation programs lack training in emotional intelligence, thus calling for reform (Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, Meyerson, Orr, & Cohen, 2007; Johnson, Aiken, & Steggerada, 2005; Guerra & Pazet, 2016; Mills, 2009; Wallace, 2010). Emotional intelligence competencies, such as empathy, self-awareness and motivation, are closely aligned with components of transformational leadership theory, including idealized influence, individualized consideration, and inspirational motivation (Kumar, 2014). Highlighting these connections can provide guidance in identifying significant components of emotional intelligence. This study examined teachers’ perceptions of school leaders’ emotional intelligence in order to identify critical components of emotional intelligence. This research utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach to address the research problem, and questions. A purposeful sampling technique was used to recruit teachers employed in public school districts in Louisiana. Consistent with phenomenological designs, semi-structured individual interviews were the primary method of data collection, along with document analysis. Transformational leadership theory and emotional intelligence provided a framework to guide the construction of methodological approaches, including: participants, data collection, data analysis and limitations. Four major themes emerged as a result of this study: 1) school leader social skills, 2) leadership styles, 3) authentic leader-teacher relationships, and 4) perceived benefits of school leader emotional skills