Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions about the Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Collaborative Skills

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of emotional intelligence on students’ collaborative skills, with a specific focus on third-year English students at the Abdelhafid Boussouf University Center in Mila. To gain an in-depth understanding, the study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining a questionnaire distributed to 100 students and semi-structured interviews conducted with nine university teachers. The research addresses the following key points: (1) What is the relationship between students' emotional intelligence and their ability to effectively collaborate with their peers? (2) Which specific emotional intelligence competencies, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills, are most crucial for successful collaboration among students? (3) How does emotional intelligence contribute to the development of effective teamwork, communication, and problem-solving within collaborative learning environments? (4) How can educators effectively integrate the development of emotional intelligence into their teaching practices to enhance students' collaborative skills?. The results indicate that both students and teachers recognize the significant role played by emotional intelligence in enabling collaboration and promoting wholesome group performance. However, the results also pinpoint the lack of deliberate teaching of emotional skills, which has negative impacts on group cohesiveness and collaborative outcomes. Secondary emotional challenges, including difficulties in emotion regulation and limited empathy, were also observed to hinder group work; however, the main findings focus on the positive role of emotional intelligence competencies in enhancing collaboration. Based on these insights, the paper offers recommendations for incorporating emotional intelligence into university curricula to support more effective student collaboration