Impact of Teachers Emotional Intelligence on Classroom Management Effectiveness in Business Education in Secondary Schools in Rivers State

This study examined the impact of teachers emotional intelligence on classroom management effectiveness in Business Education in secondary schools in Rivers State, South South Nigeria. Emotional intelligence, encompassing self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills, and motivation, has been theorized as a foundational competency for effective teaching. In Business Education classrooms, where students engage with commercially complex and often personally relevant content, a teacher emotional intelligence can significantly shape the learning environment. Grounded in the Bar-On Model of Emotional-Social Intelligence and Kounin Theory of Classroom Management, a correlational survey design was adopted. The population comprised 360 Business Education teachers in public secondary schools across the three senatorial districts of Rivers State. A stratified sample of 180 teachers was selected. The Emotional Quotient Inventory (adapted Nigerian version) and the Classroom Management Effectiveness Scale were used as data collection instruments. Multiple regression and path analysis were employed for data analysis. Findings reveal that empathy and social skills are the strongest predictors of classroom management effectiveness, while self-regulation has a significant indirect effect mediated by stress management behavior. Male and female teachers did not differ significantly in emotional intelligence scores but demonstrated different classroom management profiles. The study contributes to the growing empirical literature on emotional intelligence in teaching and recommends the inclusion of emotional intelligence development modules in pre-service Business Education teacher training programmes in Rivers State. Keywords: emotional intelligence, classroom management, business education teachers, secondary schools, Rivers State