Skip to main content
Article
Driving engagement: Investigating the influence of emotional intelligence and academic buoyancy on student engagement
Journal of Further and Higher Education (2020)
  • Christopher L. Thomas, University of Texas at Tyler
  • K. Allen
Abstract
Available evidence suggests that learners’ level of emotional intelligence and academic buoyancy are associated with components of behavioural and emotional engagement. Recent work has provided preliminary evidence that the relationship between emotional intelligence and student engagement is mediated by academic buoyancy. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine if the association between emotional intelligence, behavioural engagement, emotional engagement, behavioural disaffection, and emotional disaffection is mediated by academic buoyancy. A sample of 253 undergraduate and graduate students completed self-report measures of the primary constructs of interest. Results of an a priori path analysis indicated that emotional intelligence had a significant direct effect on behavioural and emotional engagement and behavioural and emotional disaffection. Our results also revealed academic buoyancy shared a direct relationship with behavioural and emotional engagement and emotional disaffection. Critically, our results provided additional evidence that the relationship between components of student engagement – behavioural engagement, emotional engagement, and emotional disaffection – was partially mediated by academic buoyancy. Discussion concerns the potential benefits of implementing interventions designed to enhance emotional intelligence in an effort to increase learners coping potential, engagement, and overall academic success.
Keywords
  • Emotional Intelligence,
  • academic buoyancy,
  • engagement,
  • path analysis
Disciplines
Publication Date
2020
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1741520
Citation Information
Christopher L. Thomas and K. Allen. "Driving engagement: Investigating the influence of emotional intelligence and academic buoyancy on student engagement" Journal of Further and Higher Education (2020)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/christopher--thomas/16/