Emotional Intelligence among Primary School Heads in District Gujrat: A Gender Based Comparison

Abstract

This research paper aimed at the measurement of the emotional intelligence of primary school principals in District Gujrat and the analysis of possible gender variations. It used a quantitative descriptive research design and there was a stratified random sample of 100 primary school heads (including 50 males and 50 females) who took part in the research. The scale that was used to collect data was the Primary School Heads Emotional Intelligence Scale (PSHEIS) that attributes five dimensions to emotional intelligence: Self-awareness, Managing Emotions, Motivating Oneself, Empathy, and Social Skills. The findings described that the primary schools’ heads have a moderate to high degree of emotional intelligence, the highest scores were in Motivating Oneself and Social Skills with slightly lower scores in Self-awareness and Managing Emotions. The comparisons by gender revealed that the female heads had a slightly higher score in most of the dimensions, whereas independent samples t-tests revealed no statistically significant different scores between male and female heads in every dimension, or emotional intelligence as a whole. These results emphasize the value of the emotional competencies development of school leaders and indicate that the special professional development program, aimed at the enhancement of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills, can contribute to the increase of the leadership performance. Another important step, which is described in the study, is the support of the school culture, which should foster empathy, collaboration, and effective communication.