In the face of ongoing structural and technological transformations in contemporary society, higher education institutions have initiated significant reforms to adapt to evolving educational demands. These developments highlight the importance of understanding how systemic changes affect students’ emotional and academic challenges. This study adopts a holistic perspective to investigate the influence of these shifts on students’ emotional intelligence (EI) and academic performance. A tailored questionnaire was administered to a sample of 425 university students. The data were analyzed using statistical methods and structural equation modeling with SPSS and SmartPLS software. The results indicate that key EI dimensions (emotional regulation, understanding, facilitation, and perception) significantly contribute to academic outcomes. However, the traditionally assumed linear relationship between EI and academic achievement is called into question, revealing more intricate interrelations. These findings offer a deeper understanding of the complex factors shaping academic success in a rapidly evolving university context and underscore the value of integrating emotional and social competencies into educational strategies designed to support student achievement.
Castro-López et al. (Tue,) studied this question.