Research Article
Factors Influencing Academic Achievement Among College Students: The Influence of Emotional Intelligence, Student Engagement and Demographics
Werede Tareke Gebregergis 
,
Furtuna Beraki,
Mulubrhan Michael,
Munira Ahmedin,
Nahom Debesay,
Tsega Atoshm,
Wizdan Tekleberhan,
Karolina Eszter Kovács,
Csilla Csukonyi
Article Metrics
Views
185
Downloads
87
Citations
Crossref
0
Gebregergis WT, Beraki F, Michael M, Ahmedin M, Debesay N, Atoshm T, Tekleberhan W, Kovács KE, Csukonyi C. Factors influencing academic achievement among college students: the influence of emotional intelligence, student engagement and demographics. European J Psychol E. 2023;6(4):181-193. doi: 10.12973/ejper.6.4.181
Gebregergis, W. T., Beraki, F., Michael, M., Ahmedin, M., Debesay, N., Atoshm, T., Tekleberhan, W., Kovács, K. E., & Csukonyi, C. (2023). Factors influencing academic achievement among college students: the influence of emotional intelligence, student engagement and demographics. European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research, 6(4), 181-193. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejper.6.4.181
Gebregergis Werede Tareke, Furtuna Beraki, Mulubrhan Michael, Munira Ahmedin, Nahom Debesay, Tsega Atoshm, Wizdan Tekleberhan, Karolina Eszter Kovács, and Csilla Csukonyi. "Factors Influencing Academic Achievement Among College Students: The Influence of Emotional Intelligence, Student Engagement and Demographics," European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research 6, no. 4 (2023): 181-193. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejper.6.4.181
Gebregergis, WT Beraki, F Michael, M Ahmedin, M Debesay, N Atoshm, T Tekleberhan, W Kovács, KE & Csukonyi, 2023, 'Factors influencing academic achievement among college students: the influence of emotional intelligence, student engagement and demographics', European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 181-193. Gebregergis, Werede Tareke et al. "Factors Influencing Academic Achievement Among College Students: The Influence of Emotional Intelligence, Student Engagement and Demographics." European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research, vol. 6, no. 4, 2023, pp. 181-193, https://doi.org/10.12973/ejper.6.4.181.
Abstract
The issues of poor academic outcomes, dismissal, high attrition, and dropout rates among college students have long concerned for many educators and college communities. Several scholars have posited that these problems can be addressed through the development of emotional intelligence and increased student engagement. Considering these problems, the present study aimed to assess the efficacy of emotional intelligence and student engagement in improving academic performance. The sample of the study consisted of 119 undergraduate students selected using the convenience sampling technique. Self-report Emotional Intelligence Test and Student Engagement Scale were adopted to measure emotional intelligence and student engagement respectively. Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) served as a measurement of academic achievement in the present study. Results from regression analyses revealed that certain components of emotional intelligence and academic engagement demonstrated a significant prediction effect on academic performance. From demographics, students’ programs of study showed a significant relationship with academic achievement. The present findings may provide directions for the college communities in fostering student engagement and emotional intelligence, thereby improving academic achievement of their students. The study also discusses limitations and future research directions.
Keywords: Emotional intelligence, student engagement, academic achievement, college students.
References
Abubakar, R. B., & Oguguo, O. D. (2011). Age and gender as predictors of academic achievement of college mathematics and science students. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 1(2), 89-94. https://bit.ly/45LDzU0
Adeyemo, D. A. (2007). Moderating influence of emotional intelligence on the link between academic self-efficacy and achievement of university students. Psychology Developing Societies, 19(2), 199-213. https://doi.org/10.1177/097133360701900204
Almegewly, W. H., Rawdhan, A., Saleh, M., Alrimal, M., Alasmari, R., Alhamad, S., Almuqri, R., Aljebreen, M., Alsubaie, H., & Farghaly Abdelaliem, S. M. (2022). Correlation between emotional intelligence and academic achievement among undergraduate nursing students. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 17, Article 100491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2022.100491
Alvi, T., Nadakuditi, R. L., Alotaibi, T. H., Aisha, A., Ahmad, M. S., & Ahmad, S. (2023). Emotional intelligence and academic performance among medical students - a correlational study. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 27(4), 1230-1237. https://doi.org/10.26355/eurrev_202302_31355
Anokye Effah, N. A., & Nkwantabisa, A. O. (2022). The influence of academic engagement on academic performance of university accounting students in Ghana. South African Journal of Accounting Research, 36(2), 105-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/10291954.2021.1988204
Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college? Liberal Education, 79(4), 4-15.
Bastian, V. A., Burns, N. R., & Nettelbeck, T. (2005). Emotional intelligence predicts life skills, but not as well as personality and cognitive abilities. Personality and Individual Differences, 39(6), 1135-1145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.04.006
Bhadouria, P. (2013). Role of emotional intelligence for academic achievement for students. Research Journal of Educational Sciences 1(2), 8-12. https://bit.ly/471nCe0
Bircan, H., & Sungur, S. (2016). The role of motivation and cognitive engagement in science achievement. Science Education International, 27(4), 509-529. https://bit.ly/49rQbCK
Campbell, J., & Mayer, R. E. (2009). Questioning as an instructional method: Does it affect learning from lectures Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23(6), 747-759. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1513
Christenson, S. L., Reschly, A. L., Appleton, J. J., Berman-Young, S., Spangers, D., & Varro, P. (2008). Best practices in fostering student engagement. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology (pp. 1099-1120). National Association of School Psychologists.
Ciarrochi, J., Chan, A. Y. C., & Bajgar, J. (2001). Measuring emotional intelligence in adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 31(7), 1105-1119. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00207-5
Cristóvão, A. M., Valente, S., Rebelo, H., & Ruivo, A. F. (2023). Emotional education for sustainable development: A curriculum analysis of teacher training in Portugal and Spain. Frontiers in Education, 8, Article 1165319. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1165319
Dagdag, J. D., Cuizon, H. G., & Bete, A. O. (2019). College students’ problems and their link to academic performance: Basis for needs-driven student programs. Journal of Research, Policy and Practice of Teachers and Teacher Education, 9(2), 54-65. https://doi.org/10.37134/jrpptte.vol9.no2.5.2019
Delfino, A. P. (2019). Student engagement and academic performance of students of Partido State University. Asian Journal of University Education, 15(1), 42-55.
Ding, X. (2022). Management work mode of college students based on emotional management and incentives. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 963122. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.963122
Doğan, U. (2014). Öğrenci Bağlılık Ölçeğinin geçerlik ve güvenirliği [Validity and reliability of Student Engagement Scale]. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education/Bartın Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 3(2), 390 - 403. https://bit.ly/3SvrJKR
Dukmak, S., & Ishtaiwa, F. F. (2015). Factors influencing the academic achievement of students in the preparatory and secondary schools of the United Arab Emirates. European Journal of Social Sciences, 46(2), 132-147.
Ebenuwa-Okoh, E. E. (2010). Influence of age, financial status, and gender on academic performance among undergraduates. Journal of Psychology, 1(2), 99-103. https://doi.org/10.1080/09764224.2010.11885451
Farooq, M. S., Chaudhry, A. H., Shafiq, M., & Berhanu, G. (2011). Factors affecting students’ quality of academic performance: A case of secondary school level. Journal of Quality and Technology Management, 7(2), 1-14. https://bit.ly/3Sdtaxf
Fayombo, A. G. (2012). Relating emotional intelligence to academic achievement among university students in Barbados. International Journal of Emotional Education, 4(2), 43-54.
Finn, J. D., & Zimmer, K. S. (2012). Student engagement: What is it? Why does it matter? In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 97-131). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_5
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59-109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059
Getahun, A. W. (2023). Emotional intelligence and pro-social behavior as predictors of academic achievement among university students. Community Health Equity Research and Policy, 43(4), 431-441. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272684x211033447
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Books.
Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. Bantam Books.
Gravetter, F., & Wallnau, L. (2014). Essentials of statistics for the behavioral sciences (8th ed.). Wadsworth.
Hart, S. R., Stewart, K., & Jimerson, S. R. (2011). The Student Engagement in Schools Questionnaire (SESQ) and the Teacher Engagement Report Form-New (TERF-N): Examining the preliminary evidence. Contemporary School Psychology: Formerly "The California School Psychologist", 15, 67-79. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340964
Jabbar, M., Aziz, M. A., & Zeb, S. (2011). A study on effect of demographic factors on the achievement of secondary school students in the Punjab, Pakistan. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 1(1), 63-76.
Jaeger, A. J., & Eagan, M. K. (2007). Exploring the value of emotional intelligence: A means to improve academic performance. NASPA Journal, 44(3), 512-537. https://doi.org/10.2202/1949-6605.1834
Jang, H. (2008). Supporting students' motivation, engagement, and learning during an uninteresting activity. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(4), 798-811. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012841
Jenaabadi, H. (2014). Studying the relation between emotional intelligence and self-esteem with academic achievement. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 114, 203-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.685
Karkada, I. R., D'Souza, U. J. A., & Mustapha, Z. A. B. (2020). Relationship of emotional intelligence and academic performance among medical students: Systematic review. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(3A), 72-79. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081410
Kashani, F. L., Azimi, A. L., & Vaziri, S. (2012). Relationship between emotional intelligence and educational achievement. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 69, 1270-1275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.12.061
Khurshid, M. A., Majoka, M. I., & Khan, M. S. (2018). Development of emotional intelligence of university students: An investigation of the effect of curricular. Pakistan Journal of Distance & Online Learning, 4(1), 215-234. https://bit.ly/49t1qLx
Kuh, G. D. (2003). What we’re learning about student engagement from NSSE: Benchmarks for Effective Educational Practices. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 35(2), 24-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091380309604090
Lei, H., Cui, Y., & Zhou, W. (2018). Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 46(3), 517-528. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.7054
Lei, X. (2022). The impact of emotion management ability on learning engagement of college students during COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 967666. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.967666
Maraichelvi, A., & Rajan, S. (2013). The Relationship between emotional intelligence and the academic performance among final year undergraduates. Universal Journal of Psychology, 1(2), 41-45. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujp.2013.010203
Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey & D. J. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications (pp. 3-31). Basic Books.
Naderi, H., Abdullah, R., Hamid, T. Z., & Sharir, J. (2009). Creativity, age and gender as predictors of academic achievement among undergraduate students. Journal of American Science, 5(5), 101-112. https://bit.ly/3u8B5Ck
Nasir, M., & Masrur, R. (2010). An Exploration of emotional intelligence of the students in relation to gender, age and academic achievement. Bulletin of Education and Research, 32(1), 37-51.
Patrick, H., Ryan, A. M., & Kaplan, A. (2007). Early adolescents’ perceptions of the classroom social environment, motivational beliefs, and engagement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(1), 83–98. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.1.83
Petrides, K. V., & Furnham, A. (2000). On the dimensional structure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 29(2), 313-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00195-6
Raj, P., & Chandramohan, V. (2015). Emotional intelligence predicting academic achievement among college students. International Journal of Science and Research, 4(3), 1275-1278. https://bit.ly/3QOeML2
Rehman, R., Tariq, S., & Tariq, S. (2021). Emotional intelligence and academic performance of students. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 71(12), 2777-2781. https://doi.org/10.47391/jpma.1779
Saklofske, D. H., Austin, E. J., & Minski, P. S. (2003). Factor structure and validity of a trait emotional intelligence measure. Personality and Individual Differences, 34(4), 707-721. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(02)00056-9
Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185-211. https://doi.org/10.2190/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG
Sánchez-Álvarez, N., Berrios Martos, M. P., & Extremera, N. (2020). A Meta-analysis of the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic performance in secondary education: A Multi-stream comparison. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 1517. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01517
Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Hall, L. E., Haggerty, D. J., Cooper, J. T., Golden, C. J., & Dornheim, L. (1998). Development and validation of a measure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 25(2), 167-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(98)00001-4
Shaukat, S., & Bashir, M. (2016). University students' academic confidence: Comparison between social sciences and natural science disciplines. Journal of Elementary Education, 25(2), 113-123. https://bit.ly/3QyC6MM
Skinner, E. A., & Belmont, M. J. (1993). Motivation in the classroom: Reciprocal effects of teacher behavior and student engagement across the school year. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(4), 571-581. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.85.4.571
Skinner, E. A., & Pitzer, J. R. (2012). Developmental dynamics of student engagement, coping, and everyday resilience. In S. Christenson, A. Reschly & C. Wylie (Eds), The handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 21-44). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_2
Tang, Y., & He, W. (2023). Relationship between emotional intelligence and learning motivation among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A serial mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1109569. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1109569
Troisi, J. D. (2014). Making the grade and staying engaged: The influence of student management teams on student classroom outcomes. Teaching of Psychology, 41(2), 99-103. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628314530337
Turi, J. A., Ghani, M. F. A., Javid, Y., & Sorooshian, S. (2018). The impact of socio-emotional intelligence on academic performance. Journal Of Educational Administration Research and Review, 2(2), 86-95. https://doi.org/10.17509/earr.v2i2.22478
Udida, L. A., Ukwayi, J. K., & Ogodo, F. A. (2012). Parental socioeconomic background as a determinant of student’s academic performance in selected public secondary schools in Calabar Municipal Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria. Journal of Education and Practice, 3(16), 129-136. https://bit.ly/3QvP3Wp
Wang, M.-T., Degol, J. L., Amemiya, J., Parr, A., & Guo, J. (2020). Classroom climate and children’s academic and psychological wellbeing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Developmental Review, 57, Article 100912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2020.100912
Wang, M.-T., & Holcombe, R. (2010). Adolescents’ perceptions of school environment, engagement, and academic achievement in middle school. American Educational Research Journal, 47(3), 633-662. . https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831209361209
Wolfe, K. (2019). Enhancing the emotional intelligence of students: Helping the critical few. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 19(3), 16-33. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v19i2.23750
Zeeman, E., & Lotriet, M. (2013). Beyond the expected: An enriched learning experience through learner engagement and participation. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(2), 179-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2012.696540
