Date

8-6-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Courtney Evans

Keywords

emotional intelligence, social intelligence, school climate

Disciplines

Counseling | Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact emotional intelligence of teachers and administrators has on school climate for students in a Title I K–8th grade schools in the southeast region of the United States and to determine if years of teaching experience moderates this relationship. The theories guiding this study are Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Solovey and Meyer’s theory of emotional intelligence. Bandura’s social cognitive theory explains the relationship between people, their behavior, and the environment. The theory of emotional intelligence by Solovey and Meyer relates to social intelligence by being of the belief that emotional intelligence is a substructure of social intelligence. Both theories are relevant to a K–8th grade school climate. Students are increasing their social intelligence by observing and interacting with teachers and administrators in the building. The development of social intelligence is proportionate to the development of emotional intelligence according to these theories. Administrators and teachers who do not possess high emotional intelligence impact the school climate in which students are learning every school day. This study will consist of data collected from emotional intelligence scales and school climate surveys collected from teachers in Title 1 K–8th grade schools in South Carolina. The data will be analyzed to determine the correlation and moderation, if any, between emotional intelligence scores, the rating of school climate, and years of teaching experience in the building.

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