Examining the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Teachers’ Classroom Management and Students’ Wellbeing in Nigerian Secondary Schools

This study examines the mediating role of teachers' emotional intelligence in the relationship between teacher-student interactions and student wellbeing outcomes in Nigerian secondary schools, using a multi-site design spanning South South, North West, and South East geopolitical zones. Research consistently links teacher emotional intelligence to positive classroom climates, yet its mechanisms of influence on student wellbeing in the Nigerian socio-educational context remain theoretically and empirically underdeveloped. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design with structural equation modelling, drawing a sample of 1,080 students and 240 teachers from 24 secondary schools in Rivers, Kano, and Anambra states. Instruments include the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, a validated Teacher-Student Interaction Quality Scale, and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale adapted for Nigerian adolescents. Multilevel structural equation modelling tested the hypothesised model at both individual and school levels. The study draws on Goleman's Emotional Intelligence Theory, Pianta's Teacher-Student Relationship Model, and the Social-Emotional Learning Framework. Findings are expected to demonstrate that teacher emotional intelligence significantly mediates the relationship between teacher-student interaction quality and student subjective wellbeing, academic engagement, and school belonging. School-level clustering effects and gender differences in wellbeing outcomes are also examined. Recommendations are directed at the Federal Ministry of Education and teacher training institutions on incorporating social-emotional competence development into teacher preparation and continuing professional development frameworks. Keywords: emotional intelligence, classroom management, student wellbeing, secondary schools, Nigeria