Teacher emotional intelligence and the quality of their interactions with students

Identifying qualities of effective teachers is at the forefront of educational research. Qualities of effective teachers may include their ability to perceive and manage their own and their students’ emotions, demonstrate empathy, and manage behavioral challenges, which comprise what some scholars call “Emotional Intelligence. ” Yet, little research demonstrates the link between emotional intelligence and high quality teacher-student interactions in classrooms. The current study examined whether the Teacher Emotional Intelligence Measure (TEIM), a new measure prompting teachers to respond to a hypothetical vignette of a disciplinary interaction, can measure EI with reliability and validity. In so doing, it also examined whether teachers with greater EI, compared to those with lower EI, had higher quality teacher-student interactions, as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS, a validated observational system). Vignette responses and observations of teacher-student interactions were collected from a sample of 74 teachers from within 5 diverse middle and high schools in a school district in Virginia. Intraclass correlations demonstrated that a coding scheme developed from the vignettes can be used to train coders to reliably extract relevant dimensions of EI. Multiple regression analyses further demonstrated that teachers with higher EI (as measured by a composite TEIM score), compared to those with lower EI, were observed (via coded videotaped classrooms) as having greater regard for the adolescents’ perspective. A specific item in the TEIM coding manual stood out as a predictor of observed teacher-student interactions: Teachers’ management of the disputant’s emotions, as coded from their written responses, was associated with greater sensitivity to student needs, more effective behavior management, and improved facilitation of Running&Head:&TEACHER&EMOTIONAL&INTELLIGENCE& & & iv students’ higher order thinking. These relationships persisted when taking into account the student achievement level, student socioeconomic status, teacher’s education level, and teacher gender. Unexpectedly, the composite TEIM score had a negative association with behavior management, suggesting that certain EI abilities may be linked to diminished ability to elicit students’ cooperative behavior. The effect sizes of the significant TEIM dimension (i.e., management of disputant's emotion) on observed interactions would be considered small given it explained between seven and nine percent of unique variance in the observed CLASS dimensions. That said, this is the first study to find a link between EI, as coded from a written response to a vignette, and observed teacher-student interactions in the classroom. Given the brevity of the vignette administration, the findings have implications for rapid assessment and data-driven professional development to improve students' experience in the classroom. Running&Head:&TEACHER&EMOTIONAL&INTELLIGENCE& & & v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It would not have been possible to write this dissertation without the help and support of the wonderful people in my life, to only some of whom it is possible to give particular mention here. Above all, I would like to thank Avrumi, my husband, for his support and understanding of the countless hours I spent working, for taking care of the house and children and for accommodating me with the time and space necessary to think and write. Your constant support, patience and encouragement gave me the courage to persevere. I thank my children, Esti, Ari, Dovid and Binyomin for the quiet sacrifices they withstood and for making every day exciting. I thank my parents for supporting my dreams and me unconditionally. Your love, dinners and desire to help have contributed significantly toward making this paper a reality. I thank my in-laws, for their unequivocal support throughout my education and for always going out of their way to ensure our happiness and success. To my dissertation committee members, thank you for helping me through this process and assisting me in reaching my goals. Anne, your endless patience, guidance and support has inspired and influenced my journey through graduate school. You pushed me to think critically, to believe in myself and to stay motivated. I would not be here today without your encouraging words, thoughtful criticism, and rapid pace feedback. Cary, I am so grateful for your accessibility, wisdom, valuable insights and thoughtful suggestions. It has been a privilege to work with you. Finally, I am thankful to everyone at GSAPP for their provision of an unparalleled education and for their support, patience, and guidance throughout this process. Running&Head:&TEACHER&EMOTIONAL&INTELLIGENCE& & & vi