Unpacking the emotional intelligence and professional competence nexus: the mediating role of vocational interest among prospective teachers

Teacher professional competence is central to quality education, and its importance grows as teaching becomes more complex and dynamic. Given the increasing emphasis on both cognitive and non-cognitive skills in teacher education, this study adopts a relational survey model to examine how emotional intelligence contributes to professional competence, and whether vocational interest serves as a motivational bridge between the two. Findings from prospective teachers revealed that emotional intelligence was significantly associated with both vocational interest and professional competence, and that vocational interest was significantly and positively associated with professional competence. Crucially, vocational interest partially mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and professional competence, as confirmed by bootstrap analysis. These findings suggest that fostering emotional intelligence in teacher candidates supports interpersonal effectiveness and well-being while enhancing intrinsic motivation towards the profession, thereby strengthening professional competence. The study advocates a more holistic approach in teacher development programmes, integrating emotional and motivational dimensions.