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Discourse on teaching with emotional intelligence: can it transform student

teacher performance? 

Thesis study; Eamonn Pugh; 12th March 2010

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Why this research is important

Subject knowledge

Teaching and learning methods

Emotional intelligence

Teachers can connect with learners beyond transmission of ideas and facts, thereby transforming the experience. Not using emotional intelligence diminishes the value of subject knowledge and learning and teaching methods (Mortiboys, 2005)

“Teacher preparation programs need to support teacher candidates by scaffolding the reflective abilities surrounding emotional intelligence and by providing sufficient time within the curriculum to infuse this process”. (Kremenitzer, 2005)

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Emotional intelligence

Tuning into emotions and taking appropriate action

Personal (or

Intrapersonal)

Social (or

Interpersonal)

Awareness of feelings

Recognising our own feelings

Recognising the feelings of others

Behavioural response to feelings

Managing our own feelings

effectively

Taking account of the feelings of

others.

(Orme, 2000)

Pugh, 2008, Mayer & Salovey 1989; Gardner, 1993; Goleman 1995)

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Terminology

Vocabulary:

‘Emotional intelligence’ is applied as ‘emotional competence’.

Discourse about the EI of ourselves and others uses ‘emotion literacy’.

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Contested ground

Theoretical basis - “old wine in new bottle” (Matthews, 2002)

Validity of measurement - socially desirable responding

Amoral – Aristotle’s ‘schooling of emotions’ is part of moral education, but EI not always used as a virtue (Kristjánsson, 2006)Neglected in teaching because:

Traditional view of emotions - “vulgar impediment to cognition” (Hawkey, 2006):

Emphasis on negative aspects of emotions associated with teaching (anxiety, anger ..)

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The methodology

Action research aiming to change and improve the practice of researcher and student participants (teacher educator and student teachers)

Researcher as participant ‘insider’

Student participants as collaborative partners

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A cyclical research process

Linear process – one stab at the hypothesis or issue

Cyclical process – interim reports, rethinks, change of direction to get closer to the truth.

Research purpose identified

Data collected

Data analysed & interpreted

Reflections &

conclusions

Report written

Investigation planned

Research refocussed

N +1

N cycles

Bassey, 1995

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Cycle 1 – the hypothesis

Formative assessment of student teachers’ emotional intelligence

improves their classroom performance

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The pilot data set

Week 3 joint observation

Week 8 interviews

Week 7 joint observation

EQ 1

QTS Mentor Int.

Trainee Int. EQ 2

Student A

Student B

Student C

Student D

QTS 2

Mortiboys,2002

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Cycle 1 findings

Linked improvements in emotional intelligence and overall performance (QTS professional standards)

Importance of modelling of EI Trust needed (relationships) Socially-desirable responses?

You wrote down things that she didn’t

realise she was doing. When I did my last observation last

week, there was a big difference

If the study hadn’t have been there, maybe the focus wouldn’t have been there and I wouldn’t

have improved so much

Teachers could sometimes learn

from students too. Especially here,.. they’re happy to hear

your ideas.

The emotional intelligence things overlapped with what I picked up using the normal lesson observation format

I could feel it going wrong and I

was mad at myself. I was

more in control in 2nd lesson

It’s made me reflect upon my own

practice as well… because it’s more

focused

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So, some reading on Power and Emotions

Forms of power (French & Raven): coercive, reward, legitimate, referent and expert

Researcher

Mentor

Governments (SEL, SEAL)

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Power and Emotions

“Emotional pupils and teachers could share a common discourse. But this will be managed and monitored formally as sets of competences and outcomes. There will be a clear market opportunity for those who offer.... the objective testing of the emotional intelligence of those within them” (Hartley, 2002:p17)

Unethical? But what about my first cycle of data collection?

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A change of approach

Aim: Improved emotionally-intelligent teaching by student teachers, but by empowering them to take charge of their learning.

Less positivist/scientific: ‘sufficient to recognise that understanding is of a higher order than accuracy’ (Lucaks, 2002)

Social construction of knowledge; invention of multiple social realities, validated by participants (Ovens, 2009)

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Cycle 2 – the issue

Discourse on teaching with emotional intelligence: can it transform student

teacher performance?

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Cycle 2 – researcher and participants

Participants:8 Primary PGCE student teachers – volunteers from cohort of 100 studentsAbout to begin teaching on a developing (‘middle’) school placementMy relationship with participants - lectured to them within cohort, module tutor to some, placement tutor to some.

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Cycle 2 – data collection

Fitness for purpose – empowerment of participants, emphasis on reflective discourseVideo-recording of participant teaching: taken by mentor/peerCompletion of EI self-assessment sheet by participant (having viewed video)Short reflective writing about the experienceIndividual interviews - 15 minute with researcher

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Data collected

Student participants

Teaching Video(Optional researcher access)

EI self assessment(Optional researcher access)

Short reflective writing (requested researcher access)

A B C D

E

F

G H

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Some references

Bassey, M (1995) Creating Education through Research Kinklingtom Moor Press Gardner, H. (1993) Multiple Intelligence: The Theory in Practice. New York: BasicGoleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. New York: Bantam.  Hartley, D. (2003) The instrumentalisation of the expressive in education, British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 51 (1)  Kremenitzer, J (2005) Emotional Intelligence in Teacher Education, Focus on Teacher Education Vol. 5 (4)  Lucaks, 2002; cited by Conway, J (2009) Negotiating Tricky Corners: Becoming a Researcher in Education; ESCalate Conference, B’ham. http://escalate.ac.uk/5843 accessed 6/7/09  Mayer, J. and Salovey, P. (1989) Emotional Intelligence, Baywood Publishing Inc. Mortiboys, A (2002) The Emotionally Intelligent Lecturer. SEDA Special No. 12  Mortiboys, A. (2005) Teaching with Emotional Intelligence, Routledge.  Orme, G. (2001) Emotionally Intelligent Living, Crown Publishing House.  Pugh, E (2008) If emotionally-intelligence teaching isn’t on our standards agenda, is the ladder leaning against the wrong wall? Practitioner Research in HE’, Vol 2(1) UniPress Cumbria

  

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Next data set - interviews

  

10 March 2010

Ethical decision

In setting up participant interviews for next week, I received the following emailed response :Subject: RE: Emotionally-intelligent teaching"Hello! can make 8.10 on Monday. Will you be recording the interview in any way? I'm a bit nervous of being video recorded!“Video recording the interviews would have enabled me to use not only analyse words and how they are used, but facial expressions and other body action cues. This would arguably show respect for the truth (Bassey, 1995), but not for the participant who doesn't want a video-recording. Which comes first ..the truth or the participant? If I claim my research to be a collaborative partnership between researcher and participant (Somekh, 2006) and aim to empower the participants through discourse, there is no choice.I told student it would be audio recorded with a dictaphone.

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Delegate activities

Use and evaluate the EI assessment tool (while observing a 13 minute lesson video clip)

Design personalised interview questions for one of the student teachers, informed by the submitted EI self-assessment and, where available, his/her short reflection on the process. The interview should seek to develop discourse on teaching with emotional intelligence …. maybe even the sort of experience that could transform their performance!

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Delegate reflections at this stage…

Are there any concepts or processes that you will take away from today i.e. think further about and/or take action on

Is there a place for emotional intelligence in teaching?

In teacher education?

Finally, thank you so much for your participation and collaboration!