Emotional Intelligence and Teacher Job Performance: A Comparative Study of Delta and Edo Government Secondary Schools, Nigeria

AbstractThis study comparatively investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and teachers’ job performance in government secondary schools in Delta and Edo States, Nigeria. Fournull hypotheses guided the study. The correlational survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 10,262 teachers from 792 public secondary schools across both states, while the sample consisted of 387 teachers (208 from Delta and 179 from Edo States) selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured instrument titled Emotional Intelligence and Teacher Job Performance Questionnaire (EITJPQ), validated by three experts in Educational Psychology and Measurement and Evaluation. Reliability was determined through a pilot test yielding Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients of 0.71 for the Emotional Intelligence Scale and 0.81 for the Teacher Job Performance Scale. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, coefficient of determination (R²), independent samples t-test, and regression analyses at 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed no significant difference in emotional intelligence and job performance between Delta and Edo teachers. Emotional intelligence significantly correlated with teacher job performance in both states, explaining about 50% of the variance. Among emotional intelligence components, self-awareness and self-management were the strongest predictors of job performance, while social awareness and relationship management contributed moderately. The study concluded that emotionally intelligent teachers perform better across both states. It was recommended that Ministries of Education organize emotional intelligence training, integrate EI development into teacher preparation programmes, strengthen mentoring systems, and implement performance-based incentives.