Elements of Self-Awareness Reflecting Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

Significantly, teachers of various educational settings play crucial roles in actualizing the purposes of education. In ensuring the effective attainment of the noble mission of learning and teaching, considerable emphasis must be given to teachers’ well-being notably their emotional intelligence (EI). In recent years there is growing empirical evidence that EI contributes significantly to performance and productivity. However, literature on the role of EI in enhancing teachers’ efficacy in Malaysia is scarce. This study attempts to fill this academic gap by examining the potential of self-awareness, one of Goleman’s EI domains among teachers. Specifically, this study aims to determine the elements of self-awareness that could enhance teachers’ efficacy from Malaysian perspective. Three focus group interviews were conducted with participants of both genders who comprise of young and old teachers, inexperience and experienced teachers from three different schools. This study finds intent as important sub-domain of self-awareness in Malaysian context thus extended the earlier model developed by Goleman. Significantly this study may be beneficial to spread awareness on the vitality of EI to improve psychological health and teaching success and, in turn, positive student outcomes. This study suggests integrated EI training that does not only increase teachers’ efficacy but also may decrease burnout syndromes and job dissatisfaction.