Teaching English as a Second Language Quarterly (Formerly Journal of Teaching Language Skills)

The Relationship between EFL Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence and Students’ Motivational Attributes

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 English Department, Faculty of Literature & Humanities, Shahr-e-Kord University, Saman Road, Shahr-e-Kord.

2 Shahrekord University

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers’ emotional intelligence (EI) and their students’ motivational attributes. Additionally, it investigated the contribution of EFL teachers’ EI to students’ motivational factors. To these ends, 30 EFL teachers were selected through convenience sampling from language institutes in Najaf-Abad, and were asked to complete Bar-On’s Emotional Quotient Inventory. Then, Gardner’s Attitude/Motivation Test Battery was administered to 221 randomly selected EFL students from the teachers’ English courses in the language institutes. The results of bivariate correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed that there was a statistically significant and positive relationship between the teachers’ EI and their students’ motivational attributes. Moreover, Adaptability, Interpersonal, and General Mood, three competencies of teachers’ EI, were found to have higher correlations with the students’ motivational attributes. But the unique contributions of the above three EI subdomains as well as Intrapersonal and Stress Management subdomains to the motivational factors were not statistically significant. In general, the teachers’ EI made a moderate contribution to the students' motivation.

Keywords

References
Bar-On, R. (1997). The emotional quotient inventory (EQ-i): Technical Manual. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.
Bar-On, R. (2000). Emotional and social intelligence: Insights from the emotional quotient inventory (EQ-i). In R. Bar-On & J. D. Parker (Eds.). The handbook of emotional intelligence (pp. 363-388). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bar-On, R. (2006). The Bar-On model of emotional-social intelligence (ESI). Psicothema, 18, 13-25.
Chun-huan, F. (2010).A correlational study of language learning motivation and strategies of Chinese undergraduate.Canadian Social Science, 6(4), 202-209.
Csizér, K., & Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The internal structure of language learning motivation and its relationship with language choice and learning effort. Modern Language Journal, 89(1), 19-36.
Dehshiri, R. (2003). The reliability and validity of EQ-i in Iran’s context. Unpublished master’s thesis, Allame Tabatabaii University, Tehran, Iran.
Dewaele, J. M. (2005). Investigating the psychological and emotional dimensions in instructed language learning: Obstacles and possibilities. Modern Language Journal, 89(3), 367-380.
Dörnyei, Z. (1990). Conceptualizing motivation in foreign language learning. Language Learning, 40, 46-78.
Dörnyei, Z. (2001a). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dörnyei, Z. (2001b). Teaching and researching motivation. Harlow, England: Longman.
Dörnyei, Z. (2010). Researching motivation: From integrativeness to the ideal L2 self. In S. Hunston & D. Oakey (Eds.). Introducing applied linguistics: Concepts and skills (pp. 74-83). London: Routledge.
Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fahim, M. & Pishghadam, R. (2007). On the role of emotional, psychometric, and verbal intelligences in the academic achievement of university students majoring in English language. Asian EFL Journal 9(4), 240-253.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, R. C. (1985a). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitude and motivation. London: Edward Arnold.
Gardner, R. C. (1985b). The attitude motivation test battery: Technical report. Ontario: University of Western Ontario. 
Gardner, R. C. (1999). Correlation, causation, motivation, and second language acquisition. Canadian Psychology, 41(1), 10-24.
Gardner, R. C. (2000). Correlation, causation, motivation and second language acquisition. Canadian Psychology, 41, 1-24.
Gardner, R. C. (2005).Integrative motivation and second language acquisition. Retrieved from: http://publish.uwo.ca/~gardner/docs/caaltalk5final.pdf 
Gardner, R. C., & MacIntyre, P. D. (1993). On the measurement of affective variables in second language learning. Language Learning, 43(2), 157-194.
Ghanizadeh, A., & Moafian, F. (2010). The role of EFL teachers’ emotional intelligence in their success. ELT Journal, 64(4), 424-435.
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
Guilloteaux, M. J., & Dörnyei, Z. (2008). Motivating language learners: A classroom oriented investigation of the effects of motivational strategies on students’ motivation. TESOL Quarterly, 42(1), 55-77.
Jinping, T. (2005). Classroom language teaching and students motivation. CELEA Journal, 28(2), 90-94.
Larson-Hall, J. (2010). A guide to doing statistics in second language research using SPSS. New York: Routledge.
Lenka, S. K., & Kant, R. (2012). Emotional intelligence of secondary school teachers in relation to their professional development. Asian Journal of Management Sciences and Education, 1(1), 90-101.
Lett, J., & O’Mara, F. E. (1990). Predictors of success in an intensive language learning context: Correlates of language learning at the defense language institute foreign language center. In T. S. Parry & C. W. Stansfield (Eds.). Language aptitude reconsidered (pp. 222-260). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.
MacIntyre, P. D. (2002). Motivation, anxiety and emotion in second language acquisition. In P. Robinson (Ed.). Individual differences and instructed language learning (pp. 45-68). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Mayer, J. D., Roberts, R. D., & Barsade, S. G. (2008). Human abilities: Emotional intelligence. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 507-536.
Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey & D. Sluyter (Eds.). Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications (pp. 3-31). New York: Basic Books.
Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. (2002). Mayer-Salovey-Caruso emotional intelligence test (MSCEIT) user’s manual. Toronto, Canada: Multi-Health Systems.
Moafian, F., & Gahnizadeh, A. (2009). The relationship between Iranian EFL teachers’ emotional intelligence and their self-efficacy in language institutes. System, 37, 708-718.
Mortiboys, A. (2005). Teaching with emotional intelligence: A step-by-step guide for higher and further education professionals. London:
Routledge.
Norris-Holt, J. (2001). Motivation as a contributing factor in second language acquisition. The Internet TESL Journal, 7(6). Retrieved from: http://iteslj.org/Articales/Norris-Motivation.html
Pallent, J. (2007). SPSS: Survival manual (3th ed.). Berkshire, England: Open University Press (McGraw Hill).
Ogundokun, M. O., & Adeyemo, D. A. (2010). Emotional intelligence and academic achievement: The moderating influence of age, extrinsic motivation. Journal of the African Educational Research Network, 10(2), 128-141.
Penrose, A., Perry, C., & Ball, I. (2007). Emotional intelligence and teacher self-efficacy: The contribution of teacher status and length of experience. Issues in Educational Research, 17(1), 107-126.
Pishghadam, R. (2009). A qualitative analysis of the relationship between emotional intelligence and foreign language learning. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Learning 6(1), 31-41.
Rodríguez Prieto. J. P. (2010). Emotional intelligence, motivational orientations, and motivational learning effort and achievement in Spanish as a foreign language. In C. Borgonovo, M. Español-Echevarría, & P. Prévost (Eds.). The Proceedings of the 12th Hispanic Linguistics Symposium (pp. 284-297). Somerville, USA.
Roohani, A. (2009). The study of emotional intelligence and literature in education; Gender and major of study. The Journal of Asian TEFL, 6(4), 33-69.
Root, E. (1999). Motivation and learning strategies in a foreign language setting: A look at a learner of Korean. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Minnesota, USA.
Rubio, C. M. (2009). Effective teachers–professional and personal skills. ENSAYOS: Revista de la Facultad de. Educación de Albacete, 24, 35-46.
Salami, S. O. (2007). Emotional Intelligence and self-efficacy to work attitudes among secondary school teachers in south western Nigeria. Essays in Education, 20, 43-56.
Salem, N. M. (2006). The Role of motivation, gender, and language learning strategies in EFL proficiency. Unpublished master’s thesis, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9, 185-211.
Schmidt, R., & Watanabe, Y. (2001). Motivation, strategy use, and pedagogical preferences in foreign language learning. In Z. Dörnyei & R. Schmidt (Eds.). Motivation and second language acquisition (pp. 313-359). Honolulu: University of Hawaii.
Sparrow, T.  & Knight, A. (2006). Applied EI: The importance of attitudes in developing emotional intelligence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Vaezi, Z. (2008). Language learning motivation among Iranian undergraduate students. World Applied Sciences Journal, 5(1), 54-61.
Yang, Y. (2008). The importance of the teacher for developing interest in learning English by Chinese students. International Education Studies, 1(1), 95-100.
Yin, C. (2008). Language learning strategies in relation to attitudes, motivations, and learner beliefs: Investigating learner variables in the context of English as a foreign language in China. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland, Maryland, USA.
 
Teaching English as a Second Language Quarterly (Formerly Journal of Teaching Language Skills)
Volume 33, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
October 2014
Pages 113-133
Files
History
  • Receive Date: 19 January 2014
  • Revise Date: 21 September 2014
  • Accept Date: 15 October 2014
Share
How to cite
Statistics