Emotional intelligence and career maturity in high school students: a sequential mediation model

Objective This study aims to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and career maturity among high school students, and examine the mediating roles of self-management and coping styles in this relationship, thereby providing insights for career development education among high school students.Method A convenience sampling method was used to select 896 high school students from a high school in Guangdong Province, China. The study utilised the Wong & Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), Career Maturity Inventory (CMI), High School Students’ Self-Management Questionnaire, and the Coping Style Scale of Middle School Students (CSSMSS) to collect data, and a sequential mediation model was constructed for analysis.Results The results indicated that: (1) emotional intelligence was positively associated with career maturity; (2) self-management and problem-solving each independently mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and career maturity; (3) self-management and positive coping styles functioned as sequential mediators in the relationship between emotional intelligence and career maturity.Conclusions Emotional intelligence was directly and indirectly associated with high school students’ career maturity through enhanced self-management and problem-solving coping styles, offering important insights for career education in high schools.