Linking Emotional Intelligence and Achievement Motivation in School Students: A Review of Correlates and Implications for Social and Emotional Learning

Achievement motivation and emotional intelligence (EI) are increasingly regarded as central to student success beyond cognitive ability. This review synthesises theoretical and empirical literature on the correlates of achievement motivation and EI among school students, with attention to their interrelationship, demographic and contextual correlates, and implications for practice in the Indian school system. Drawing on classical motivation theories, ability and trait models of EI, meta-analyses and selected school-based studies, the review finds that EI shows a small-to-moderate positive association with academic performance and a consistent positive association with adaptive motivational orientations such as self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation and persistence. Gender, age, parental involvement, school climate and socioeconomic background emerge as important correlates, although findings are often inconsistent. Methodological limitations, including overreliance on self-report, cross-sectional designs and heterogeneous measurement, restrict causal inference. The review concludes that integrating social and emotional learning into curricula and teacher preparation is a promising, evidence-informed strategy, and it identifies priorities for future longitudinal and culturally grounded research.