Attention to Student Needs Mediates the Relationship Between Teacher Emotional Intelligence and Student Misconduct in the Classroom

Abstract

Understanding the relationship between teacher Emotional intelligence (EI) and student misconduct was the goal of this research. We hypothesized that teachers high in EI tend to establish good working relationships with students by being attentive to their students’ needs. In a sample of 300 Syrian teachers, EI was assessed with the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence scale (WLEIS; Wong & Law, 2002). Results showed that teachers’ perceived EI was negatively related to student misconduct and that this relationship was mediated by teachers’ attention to student needs. Our findings highlight the role of teachers’ EI in shaping social interactions in the classroom and lead to some practical implications for teacher selection and training.