Developing Socio-Emotional Intelligence in First Year Students

Authors: Devis-Rozental, C., Eccles, S., Mayer, M. and Jones, J.

Conference: SRHE Annual Research Conference 2014

Abstract:

There is an under-studied relationship between ‘socio-emotional’ intelligence (Castejon et al. 2008), which is the ability to understand, manage and engage both our emotions and our social interactions in the appropriate manner, for the right purpose and with the right person, to have a successful interaction or experience (Bar-On 2005; Goleman 1996, 2007) and bespoke one-to-one Learning Development (LD) support offered to first year HE students. The availability of and access to LD support, assists students in their transition to Higher Education, reduce withdrawal rates and significantly enhances the student learning experience. Thus, by focusing on developing their socio-emotional intelligence, students strengthen those personal attributes aiding their learning and wider student experience (Qualter et al. 2009). We provide an overview of the concept within the context of HE and presents formative findings of ongoing exploration in a LD team in a UK HE institution from a pilot focus group and informal action research, corroborating the positive impact on aspects of socio-emotional intelligence for students accessing this type of support.

Source: Manual

Preferred by: Camila Devis-Rozental