Developing the Emotional Intelligence of Undergraduate Music Education Majors: An Exploratory Study Using Bradberry and Greaves’ (2009) Emotional Intelligence 2.0

Research focused on the relationship of emotional intelligence (EI) to academic and professional success in education, and whether and how it might be taught and learned, is inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which undergraduate music education majors experienced a change in EI after implementing strategies from Emotional Intelligence 2.0. Participants included 10 junior-year music education majors enrolled in a semester-long music teaching foundations course. Participants predicted their EI scores, completed the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal pretest, and, following instruction, completed the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal posttest. Results indicate a significant difference between predicted and pretest scores, as well as between pretest and posttest scores. While undergraduate music education majors overestimated their EI prior to instruction, EI was improved by using the Emotional Intelligence 2.0 model in combination with classroom instruction.