The impact of trait emotional intelligence on the academic performance of students: The case study on students of Ueh University

Abstract

Academic performance plays an important role in Vietnam, and factors affecting it are highly concerning when there are many conflicting results regarding this topic. This research aims at studying the relationship between trait emotional intelligence subfactors, as measured by Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQUE-SF), and academic performance, as measured by GPA, among students at UEH university. We also extend the research to test the mean difference in each trait emotional intelligence subfactors between gender groups, namely male and female students. Finally, we elaborate on whether conscientiousness, as measured by Goldberg’s (1999) Big Five Inventory scale (BFI), has a moderating effect on the association between each trait emotional intelligence subfactor and student academic performance. Firstly, results from the multiple regression show that well-being and self-control significantly and positively affected GPA, while emotionality significantly and negatively affected GPA. However, there is no significant relationship between sociability and GPA. Secondly, results from the independent sample T-test show that male students have significantly higher well-being and self-control scores than their female counterparts, while female students have significantly higher emotionality scores than their female counterparts. Thirdly, we find that the positive relationship between self-control & GPA is strengthened for students with high conscientiousness, while the negative relationship between emotionality & GPA is weakened for students with high conscientiousness. Finally, recommendations are also made for future research and practitioners based on our findings.