Influence of emotional intelligence on conflict management in teacher-students relationship

Abstract

The improvement of emotional intelligence skills helps teachers to deal with the emotional demands in the classroom, being fundamental for find the order and balance in guiding decisions during the conflict. This study investigated the influence of emotional intelligence on classroom conflict management, providing conceptual support and factual evidence about the manifest relationship between the two constructs in teacher-student relationship. The objective of this research was to know the influence of teacher's emotional intelligence on classroom conflict management. The relationship between some teachers' personal and professional variables and emotional intelligence was also analyzed. The following instruments were used: the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire for Teachers, the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory II-Portuguese Version in School Context, and a Personal and Professional Data Sheet, in a sample comprising of 745 basic and secondary teachers, from Portugal. Using the structural equation modeling technique, the results indicated that teachers who tend to have higher levels of emotional intelligence use more integrative and commitment, for conflict management, constructively managing classroom conflict. Considering the results found, it is considered the importance of pedagogical practices, throughout academic training, that value the teachers’ emotional dimension, for the benefits presented in classroom conflict management, in the teacher-student relationship.