A Study on the Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Occupational Stress of Teachers – With Special Reference to Teachers in Kottayam District

Education is the ability to meet the challenges of life, it is a character building process, enhancing one‘s personality and making him/her rational, capable, responsive and intelligent. Education is an illumination. It plays a highly significant role in the lives of individuals by empowering them with various abilities, skills, competencies, and thus paving way for enhancing the quality of life. In the lives of the individuals, most of the problems, especially, occupational in nature are the results of misinterpretation of the involved sentiments, feelings and emotions of the concerned individuals, groups, society and nations. These days‘ schools face tremendous pressure to have their student‘s excellent score on state exam. The needs of students, staff and parents in schools today vary from those of the same group even a few years ago. In addition, schools face problems related to drugs, gang policy and personal issues. Because of all such changes which occurred in the educational sector, the workplace had become a high stressed environment. In order to cope with such type of problems, teachers and principals need to possess Emotional Intelligence. A teacher has to face innumerable challenges and play different roles in his/her institution.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what they're feeling, what their emotions mean, and how these emotions can affect other people.

Due to the tremendous changes in the educational sector today, the work place has become a high stressed environment. In order to cope with such an environment, teachers and principals need to possesses emotional intelligence The present study has been entitled as ―A Study On The Effect Of Emotional Intelligence On Occupational Stress Of Teachers."

1. To study factors affecting emotional intelligence. 2. To find out various reasons for occupational stress. 3. To identify teachers with high emotional intelligence and low emotional intelligence. 4. To study whether emotional intelligence reduces occupational stress among teachers.

Emotional Intelligence has been heavily studied in social sciences, psychology and business sector, but not much in educational arena. These days‘ schools face tremendous pressure to have their students excellent score on state exam.. The needs of students, staff and parents in schools today vary from those of the same group even a few years ago. In addition, schools face problems related to drugs, gang policy and personal issues. Because of all such changes which have occurred in the educational sector, the workplace has become a high stressed environment. In order to cope with such type of problems, teachers and principals need to possess Emotional Intelligence. The present study is based on the assumption that application of emotional intelligence can reduce occupational stress among teachers. Sixty higher secondary school teachers were selected as a sample for the study. intelligence and occupational stress of school teachers. H1: There is relationship between emotional intelligence and occupational stress of school teachers.

The required data for the study is basically primary in nature. The data are collected from school teachers of different schools in kottayam district. Secondary data are also collected through published and unpublished records of the school, journals, publications and other records. Simple random sampling method is employed for collection of data.

The population of the study is 1455 school teachers. In Kottayam district there are 4 educational districts with 97 aided schools with 15 teachers in the higher secondary streams.

Ten aided higher secondary school were randomly selected from kottayam district. from these selected schools 6 teachers from each school were taken as the sample for the present study. A sample of 60 respondents was taken into consideration for my study and the data was collected

In this study the simple random sampling technique is used.

Various statistical tools like percentage, average and measures of Correlation are used for analyzing the collected data. The analyzed data is presented with the help of tables, diagrams, chart etc.

1. Both emotional intelligence and occupational stress cannot be measured in quantitative terms. 2. Size of the sample is limited to ten schools in kottayam district and six teachers from each school.

Correlation refers to the relationship between any two or more variables. Two variables are said to be correlated if with a change in the value of one variable, there arises a change in the value of the other variable also. Thus, if with a change in the price of a commodity, the demand for that commodity changes, we would say that the price and demand are related with each other. The statistical tool with the help of which the relationship between two or more than two variables is studied is called measures of correlation. The measure of correlation, called the correlation co-efficient summarizes in one figure the direction and extent of correlation. Thus correlation analysis refers to the techniques used in measuring the closeness of the relationship between the variables. The term correlation has been defined variously by different authors. Some of the definitions are quoted here as under: According to A. M. Tuttle, ―Correlation is an analysis of the co-variation between two or more variables‖.

There are different types of correlation which may be noted between any two or more variables. The following are the important types: (i) Positive deviation (ii) Negative deviation

X: 1843 Y: 1819

X: 30.716667 Y: 30.316667

X: 18.603056 Y: 14.716389

The above table of correlation shows correlation between two variables X and Y where X represents emotional intelligence and Y represents occupational stress. From the table of correlation, it

study move in opposite direction the result indicates that null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis is accepted. Scatter diagram showing correlation between EI and OS

General Findings: 1. In the survey majority of respondents (65%) are female. 2. It is found that most of the teachers (60%) belong to the age group of 40-50. 3. Majority of teachers (70%) only have post-graduation. 4. Almost 68% of teachers have salary above 40000. 5. Majority of teachers (55%) have work experience of more than 15 years. 6. All the respondents (100%) have good self-awareness. 7. Only 39% of respondents have good self-regulation. 8. More than 35% of teachers are highly motivated. 9. It is found that more than 40% of teachers are empathic. 10. Majority of teachers have good social skills. 12. More than 45% of teachers state that they are not much affected by psychological causes as well as Socio-psychological factors that may results occupational stress. 13. Almost 50% of teachers state that they are able to overcome organisational factors that affect occupational stress. 14. More than 90% of teachers have teaching as well as non-teaching duties after school hours. 15. Majority of teachers (57%) state that their students are cooperative in class. 16. From the scores obtained from the test conducted more than 43% of teachers are found with high emotional intelligence and rest with average emotional intelligence 17. Also it is found from the test that more than 50% of teachers are experiencing less occupational stress and rest with average occupational stress. 18. There exist a negative correlation (-0.82) between emotional intelligence and occupational stress which states that there exist a relationship between occupational stress and emotional intelligence. Thus the Major Findings are: 1. Following are the factors affecting emotional intelligence(secondary data) a. Self-awareness is being aware of oneself b. Empathy is feeling and understanding the other person c. Self-motivation is being motivated internally d. Emotional stability is to stay composed in all situations e. Managing relations is to handle relationship with others f. Integrity is awareness of one‘s weakness, strengths and beliefs g. Value orientation is to maintain ethical standards h. Commitment is to keep promises

a. Physical factors, such as the operating noise, harmful working conditions. b. Physiological causes (inconvenient work schedules or poor diet on the job). c. Socio-psychological factors: overload, complex relationships, persistent personal conflicts with management. d. Organizational factors: improper segregation of duties, strict deadlines of the task, the monotonous rhythm of work or too overwrought her pace. Cope with this load will help competent training, prevention efforts aimed at restoring mental balance. 3. From the scores obtained from the test conducted more than 43% of teachers are found with high emotional intelligence and rest with average emotional intelligence and no teacher is found to have a very low emotional intelligence. 4. From the table of correlation, it is proved that there exist a negative correlation (0.82) between emotional intelligence and occupational stress, or in other words with increase in emotional intelligence there is decrease in occupational stress.

Goleman (1995) indicates that EI increases with age and maturity. Therefore, a difference was expected based on tenure in the institution. Explanations for this may have been that high EI tends to reduce turnover (Abraham, 1999;Goleman, 1998; McClelland, 1999; Spencer & Spencer, 1993) or that those who choose not to change careers after a short time already possess high levels. Also, Ashkanasy (2003) found while completing his research that those with higher EI were more likely to participate in the voluntary activities involving EI training. This may have impacted those who choose to participate in this study and who chose to refrain. The main assumption of the research has been proved according to the relationship between emotional intelligence and occupational stress and shows that by increasing the emotional intelligence can reduce the occupational stress of employees and improve their work. From the table of correlation, it is proved that there exist a negative correlation (0.82) between emotional intelligence and occupational stress. The result indicates that null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis is accepted. intelligence and in this research, we saw that the effects of emotional intelligence can have a role in occupation and has a meaningful impact upon the employees‘ occupational stress. So we can say that having some educational terms to increase emotional intelligence by Principals of schools, the evaluation of employees will determine the basic abilities that an individual needs to stand against stress and to create different motives with different methods in employees to recognize emotional intelligence. We suggest some meetings to increase self-awareness in individual and teach skills of making and preserve a relationship to increase the emotional intelligence. Furthermore, we recommend some problem solving meetings to use the decision making situations and making sensitive conditions to control emotions and correct decision making in the organization.

Intelligence, which is available in plenty, should follow considerations of local needs, goals, interests, and mandates; staff skills work load, and receptiveness, pre-existing instructional efforts and activities. At the entry point of teacher education courses itself, the level of emotional competence in students can be assessed so as to plan programmes for them to improve in these skills. Scientific research indicates that the formation of emotional skills is much easier in the formative years from birth to the late teens. Looking at existing structures, school is the major activity in that age group. But that should not stop anyone acquiring these skills at a later stage too. More and more children are being bombarded by the messages of mass culture, Internet, television, and other outlets unfiltered by teachers and parents (Elias 2006). So it becomes very important that parents and teachers acquaint themselves with the skills of emotional competencies to handle the children at various age groups, carefully. The study has implications for future policy recommendations for teacher preparation institutions. Qualitative and quantitative analyses on the emotional intelligence ability development of teachers at all levels can be made. Along with this, a longitudinal evidence of greater student outcomes within the classroom on social, emotional, and academic measures will reveal its relationship with the emotional skills of teachers. Innovative programmes of emotional intelligence can be practiced within the academic Environment.

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Assistant Professor, St. Stephens College, Uzhavoor