Emotional intelligence of Malaysian teachers: a comparative study on teachers in daily and residential schools

AbstractGiven the current position on teachers’ professional conduct and emotional outburst in Malaysia and its impact on the students psychological well-beings, this study tries to assess emotional intelligence (EI) of Malaysian teachers. The study used a survey design and MEQI to collect data. One thousand and four teachers participated in this study. The study examines EI from four different factors (personal management, people management, spirituality and maturity) and 28 core competencies. Findings from the study show that both groups have similar EI profile. However, they have low abilities in a number of areas, namely; emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, achievement drive, influencing skills, conflict management, change catalyst, and leadership. Both groups also scored high in spirituality and maturity. In conclusion, although both groups have similar EI profile, the study shows that the residential school teachers have higher EI when compared to the daily school teachers