ABSTRACT

This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement of senior secondary school students in Agricultural Science in Abia State. The study adopted correlational research design to establish the relationship that exists between variables of emotional intelligence and academic achievement of students in Agricultural Science. The population of the study was 7,180 Senior Secondary School Students offering Agricultural Science as provided by Abia State Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) for 2015/2016 academic year. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select 379 Students used for the study. The two instruments used for data collection in this study were; emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) and Agricultural Achievement Test (AAT). Reliability of the three sub-dimensions of emotional intelligence scale was determined using Cronbach’s coefficient alpha, and the index was found as; 0.65 for behavioral self-control, 0.65 for stress management, and 0.73 for team work respectively, while an overall coefficient of 0.86 was found for the entire instrument. For the Agricultural Achievement Test (AAT), Kuder Richardson’s 21 were used to determine the reliability index which yielded a coefficient of 0.97. Data collected were analyzed  using  multiple linear regression analysis (r) for answering research questions 1, 2 and 3, while their null hypotheses were tested using one sample t- test.  Based on the data collected and analyzed, the study found that,   behavioral self-contro,l stress management ability and students’ teamwork ability predicts about .013, .049 and .140 respectively of students’ academic achievement in Agricultural Science in Abia State; There are significant relationships between the three sub-dimensions of emotional intelligence with their academic achievement. Hence, the study recommended that secondary school teachers should factor learner’ behavioural control, stress management and teamwork skills into their instructional programmes for improved emotional intelligence and consequently academic achievement of students and that teachers, school management, school administrators and school counsellors and psychologists should use appropriate psychological interventions to enhance behavioural control, stress management and teamwork skills of the students among others.