Emotional Intelligence of School Administrators and Conflict Outcomes in Secondary Schools in Anambra State

This study examines the relationship between the emotional intelligence of school administrators and conflict resolution outcomes in public secondary schools in Anambra State, South East Nigeria. Emotional intelligence, encompassing the capacity to recognise, understand, manage, and use emotions in professional interactions, is increasingly recognised as a critical competency for educational administrators facing the complex interpersonal demands of school leadership. Conflict is an inevitable feature of school organisational life, and how administrators manage it, through emotionally intelligent or emotionally reactive responses, significantly shapes institutional stability and staff morale. The study employs a correlational design and samples 300 teachers, vice principals, and principals from 40 secondary schools across three education zones. Validated instruments including the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale and a researcher-developed Conflict Outcomes Inventory are administered, and data are analysed using structural equation modelling. The study contributes original evidence on the emotional intelligence-conflict management nexus in Nigerian secondary school administration. Results confirm that administrators with higher emotional intelligence achieve more integrative and lasting conflict resolutions, demonstrate lower escalation rates, and preside over schools with more positive staff relations climates. Recommendations include the assessment of emotional intelligence in the selection of school administrators and the integration of emotional competency training into principal development programmes in Anambra State. Keywords: emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, school administration, secondary schools, Anambra State.