Abstract
Numerous contributions corroborate the need to include emotional education and the development of emotional competencies at school to improve students’ school learning and well-being. The present study aims to learn more about the development of emotional competencies in primary school students, taking into account gender differences across different cycles and analyzing the potential link with students’ overall academic performance. Participants were 2389 primary school students (51.2% boys and 48.8% girls), aged from 6 to 12, from 21 public and semi-private schools in Spain. The study is a non-experimental quantitative study, using an ex-post-facto descriptive method. The Emotional Development Questionnaire (CDE 9-13), the Emotional Competencies Observation Scale, and the overall grade point average were applied to the sample. The results show significant differences in favor of girls in the development of most emotional competencies in all three educational cycles. Differences were also observed in academic performance by gender in the primary school cycle, with girls achieving higher grades. At the same time, positive correlations were found between academic performance and emotional competencies. The results confirm the importance of including emotional education in primary education.
Highlights
The sample had the following breakdown by educational cycle: 443 of the primary school students were in the first cycle (50.5% boys and 49.5% girls), 951 in the second
As for academic performance, the results of the t-test for independent samples analyzing the differences in performance by gender indicate that, in the first cycle, girls perform significantly better (M = 7.398; SD = 1.233) than boys (M = 7.023; SD = 1.232; t 427 = −3.143; p < 0.05)
The first aim of this study was to verify the existence of gender-based differences in the development of emotional competencies in primary education cycles
Summary
Later, to the genesis and rise of the concepts of emotional competence and education [2]. Emotional intelligence [3], these systems have begun to change and take into account the importance of social and emotional components for any type of learning. 21st-century education should promote “learning to know and to do” and “learning to be and to live together” [4], using a holistic approach able to overcome the traditional dichotomies between cognitive, emotional and ethical aspects [5]. The knowledge and management of emotions, as well as the establishment of good interpersonal relationships, are considered key factors for achieving any type of academic or personal goal [6]
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