Relationship between principals’ emotional intelligence and instructional leadership practices in Malaysian secondary schools

Abstract

School principal emotional intelligence is necessary to enable schools being led effectively due to the changes taking place in education system lately. This study aims to explore the relationship between principal emotional intelligence and instructional leadership practices in Malaysian secondary schools. This is a non-experimental quantitative research using survey technique through the administration of a set of questionnaire that compromised demographic variables, principal emotional intelligence competency and instructional leadership practices. 396 returned questionnaires have been analyzed in this research. The findings showed that teachers perceived their principals practice high level of instructional leadership and emotional intelligence competency. Furthermore, data indicated that there was statistically significant positive correlation which is strong between principal emotional intelligence and instructional leadership practices. In addition, multiple regression analysis showed that relationship management, social awareness and self-awareness being the three emotional intelligence competencies that are statistically significant predictors of principal instructional leadership practices. The implications of this study could be used as a guide to school leaders in managing and controlling their emotions when dealing with the various parties to produce outstanding and excellence schools. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by IASE.