Emotional Intelligence, Self-esteem and Gender as Correlate of Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aim of the Study: The study aimed to explore academic achievement among secondary school students in the Anambra State Nigeria and was correlated with emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and gender. Researchers designed two null hypotheses and three study questions. The study followed a threshold of significance at .05 level. The research conducted in Nigera and specified by the region in the Anambra State educational zones of Onitsha and Awka.

Methodology: Correlational research designs were used for the study's design. All of the 263 public secondary schools in Anambra state's year two senior secondary school (SSS2) students made up the study's population. The study's sample consisted of (N=1,028) participants drawn from 18 secondary schools in the Onitsha and Awka education zones using a non-proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ), a structured questionnaire intended to gather information on a student's emotional intelligence, a Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), and a Mathematics and English Language Achievement Test are among the devices used for data gathering (MEAT). Two professionals validated the instrument's face and content. Multiple regression was used to evaluate the hypotheses while the research questions were analyzed utilizing the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (Pearson r).

Findings & Conclusion: The study's findings demonstrated a substantial correlation between secondary school students' academic success in mathematics and English language and emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and gender.

Implication: The government should conduct seminars and workshops for teachers to help them grasp the ideas of emotional intelligence and self-esteem in order to develop their own emotions and those of their students.