Study of the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement Among Secondary School Students in Kwara State

Emotional intelligence encompasses the ability to perceive, manage, and use emotional information, and its relationship to academic achievement among Nigerian secondary school students has received limited empirical attention. This study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement among senior secondary school students in Ilorin, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. A correlational design was adopted, with 280 SS2 students from seven secondary schools completing the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version. Academic achievement was measured using the most recent end-of-term examination scores. Multiple regression analysis was applied to assess the predictive value of emotional intelligence components. Results showed that total emotional intelligence was a significant positive predictor of academic achievement (beta = 0.43, p < 0.001), explaining 18.5 percent of variance. The intrapersonal (self-awareness and self-management) subscale was the strongest individual predictor (beta = 0.38, p < 0.001). Students in the upper quartile of emotional intelligence scored on average 14.8 percentage points higher in academic achievement than those in the lower quartile. No significant gender difference in total emotional intelligence was found, although females scored higher on the interpersonal subscale. The study concludes that emotional intelligence is a significant but underemphasised predictor of academic success. Recommendations include integrating social-emotional learning curricula into secondary education, training teachers in emotional intelligence identification, and school counsellor-led emotional skills development workshops. Keywords: emotional intelligence, academic achievement, secondary school students, Kwara State, social-emotional learning