Education has, over the years, gone much beyond what we learn in the classrooms. It’s in everything we do, and everywhere we are. It’s safe to say that education has a bearing on all that we do. So, it’s no surprise your emotional intelligence is affected by your education levels, learning ability and depth of knowledge. Curious to know more? Let’s understand if education helps with emotional intelligence, with inputs from Dr Mehezabin Dordi, clinical psychologist, rehabilitation and sports medicine department, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai.
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
Let us first understand what is meant by emotional intelligence. Simply put, it is the ability to recognise, assess, control, and express emotions in a productive and constructive manner is known as emotional intelligence or emotional quotient (EQ). A person with a high EQ can communicate more effectively, reduce anxiety and tension, resolve conflicts, enhance relationships, sympathise with others, and overcome life's obstacles. Emotional intelligence has an impact on life quality since it influences human behaviour.
Education And Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI) supports our potential for resilience, motivation, empathy, reasoning, stress management, communication, and our ability to understand, and navigate a variety of social situations and conflicts by forming the confluence where cognition and emotion meet. EI gives you the chance to live a more fulfilling and happier life. Several studies show that having a high intelligence quotient (IQ) does not ensure success. Dr Dordi agrees, “Emotional intelligence and IQ both have a role in how successful we are in life, yet intellect functions best when it is supported with strong emotional intelligence. As a result, one's emotional intelligence has a significant impact on one's schooling and life achievement,” she states.
The Importance Of Emotional Intelligence
Self-awareness, emotional regulation, self-motivation, empathy, and relationship skills are the five primary components of EI. It is, of course, necessary for effective interpersonal communications – and thus a doorway to greater learning, friendships, academic success, and employment. Skills like these, which we learn in our formative years at school, are frequently the cornerstone for future success.
Developing a high EQ can help determine our success and influence our decisions by opening up possibilities that we might not have explored before. Dr Dordi elaborates, “Everything from your child's connections with classmates to his or her academic success might be influenced by how he or she regulates emotions. Students with greater levels of emotional intelligence are better able to regulate their emotions and empathise with others. This can aid in the development of increased self-motivation and more effective communication skills, both of which are necessary for students to become more self-assured learners.”
Benefits Of Emotional Intelligence
Some benefits of EI for students, as listed out by Dr Dordi are as follows:
• Emotional control
• Improved communication
• Make new connections and have more productive interpersonal interactions
• Stress alleviation
• Expressions of compassion and sympathy for others
How Can Education Help Imbibe Emotional Intelligence?
Dr Dordi shares some ways that one can imbibe EI through education. They are:
1. Incorporate EI Into Lesson Plans: Rather than teaching a separate lesson on social skills or emotions, try incorporating these concepts into what you're already teaching. It would be beneficial to tell stories and include them into an instructional strategy.
2. Solution-Focused Attitude: Whether it's assisting a child with a difficult arithmetic problem or drafting a set of class rules at the start of the year, involve children in all types of problem-solving activities. Group projects are an effective approach to teach children how to collaborate, which is a skill they will need in a variety of situations.
3. Diligence: Self-motivation is an important part of social and emotional learning, as well as a requirement for children to succeed in life. Remind pupils that they must put in effort and perseverance in order to achieve success. If you witness kids putting out a valiant effort but still falling short of the grade, congratulate them on their efforts and urge them to keep trying until they succeed.
4. Demonstrate Respect: It is a crucial life lesson to learn to respect others. One of the finest ways to show respect is to use courteous language and encourage them to imitate your actions. Remind them that treating others with respect does not automatically require them to agree with them.
5. Value Education: Instill in your children the necessity of having strong moral principles, being honest and trustworthy, and accepting responsibility for their actions.
6. Communication And Conversations: Teachers should ask their students for their perspectives, let them lead activities, and respond to their ideas with flexibility. This improves pupils' motivation to learn by instilling a sense of competence in them.
7. Resilience: Studies show that students who are more resilient are more likely to succeed academically. They also recover faster from setbacks, are more aware of their opinions, and are more aware of their ideas, all of which contribute to a strong sense of self.
8. Empathy: One strategy to foster empathy is to ask students to put themselves in the shoes of others on a regular basis. Empathy aids in the development of positive relationships in children, which is a key component of social and emotional learning. Encourage your students to pay attention to others and to try to comprehend how others are experiencing.