The relationship between EFL teachers’ trait emotional intelligence and reflective practices: a structural equation modeling approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper reports the results of a study examining whether EFL teachers’ emotional intelligence (EI) predicts their degree of involvement in reflective practices (RPs). To this end, 230 Iranian EFL teachers filled out the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire developed by Petrides (2009) and the English Language Teaching Reflection Inventory designed by Akbari, Behzadpoor, and Dadvand (2010). The results of Pearson correlation revealed that the participants’ total EI and RP scores were significantly associated with each other. Furthermore, the four EI factors – namely Emotionality, Self-control, Sociability, and Well-being – significantly correlated with the teachers’ RP, with the highest coefficient being observed for Well-being. Likewise, the five reflection subscales (i.e. practical, cognitive, affective, metacognitive, and critical reflection) had statistically measurable correlations with the teachers’ EI, with the lowest coefficient being registered for critical reflection. Moreover, the structural model, which emerged as a result of conducting structural equation modeling analysis, indicated that Emotionality, Self-control, and Sociability indirectly predicted the degree of EFL teachers’ engagement in RPs via the mediating role of Well-being. The highest and lowest predictive powers were respectively recorded for Sociability and Self-control. The findings are discussed in light of the available literature. At the end, it is recommended that special training programs should be devised to develop EFL teachers’ EI and indirectly behoove them to more passionately reflect on their practices.