Emotional
intelligence has been linked to effective leadership (Goleman, 2002,
2008b). The curriculum of education division
graduate programs must explicitly address leadership skill development (CAEP,
2013). However, in these programs,
emotional intelligence behaviors may be implicitly encouraged rather than
explicitly taught. Given results of empirical
research by Anderson (2016), either graduate program development or revision of
curriculum should seek to optimize development of potential educational leaders
by explicitly teaching, developing, and expecting the exhibition of emotional
intelligence skills.
Without effective leadership, education reform cannot take
place (Creighton & Jones, 2001).
Effective educational leadership
programs result from program experiences as well as the quality of entering
candidates (Creighton & Jones, 2001). Unfortunately, teacher preparation and
induction programs remain pressured to accept adequate numbers of candidates to
justify the program’s cost and existence (Creighton & Jones, 2001). Obviously, a graduate program’s need for tuition
increases the need for optimal curriculum effectiveness to achieve desired
outcomes.
Accountability of advanced-level teacher
preparation and school leadership programs remain an ongoing process (CAEP, 2013).
Typically, students’ evaluation of
faculty, pre-admission compared to post-graduation surveys, and the annual
state/accreditation council review of the program, produce the data used to ascertain
each program’s effectiveness. Leaders of
teacher preparation and school leadership programs may erroneously identify
courses as ineffective because it takes years before graduates actually attain a
school leadership position. This may cause
reform-based coursework to become either forgotten or outdated (Bottoms
& O’Neill, 2001). Therefore, implementation
of processes that develop broader leadership skills in decision-making and
problem solving must serve a significant role within school leadership
preparation programs (Marzano,
Waters, & McNulty, 2005; Short, 1997).
A quantitative study by Sanders’
(2010) examined the perceptions of professors who address educational
leadership in their work within institutes of higher education (IHE). Specifically, Sanders sought to identify the
professors’ understanding of competencies related to emotional intelligence and
the extent to which these competencies were being included within their IHE
teacher leadership programs. Left
unanswered was how demonstrated emotional intelligence related to the perceptions
of an optimal school climate. Maulding,
Townsend, Leonard, and Sparkman, (2010) sought clarification of the
correlation between the twenty-one leadership behaviors identified by Marzano et
al., (2005) and student achievement. In
contrast to findings posited by the Marzano et al., (2005) meta-analysis, as evidenced
by the school’s performance level, subsequent studies by Maulding et al. (2010,
2012) clearly indicated a potential correlation between emotional intelligence
of school leaders and student achievement.
A study by Byron (2001) found educational
programs that focus upon emotional intelligence behaviors produced successful
outcomes. Byron (2001) cited the
benefits of attending to “the cultures of learning, to the individual's current
abilities, propensities, and current conceptions, and to fundamental
reorganizations of behavior, not just acceleration and fine-tuning"
(Grotzer & Perkins, 2012, p. 510). However,
Mayer and Salovey (1997) cautioned against focusing solely upon one dimension
or a single sub-skill of emotional intelligence. Any program seeking to develop emotional
intelligence skills “should be empirically defensible, measurable, and clear
enough to serve as a basis for curriculum development" (Cobb & Mayer,
2000, p. 18).
Teaching is considered one of the most stressful
occupations (Palomera,
Fernandez-Berrocal, & Brackett, 2008). This increases the importance of emotional
intelligence skills training because professional development or training in
emotional intelligence skills can support teachers’ coping skills within a
stressful environment. Teacher burnout
becomes more predictable in relation to stress.
Alternatively, teachers exhibiting high emotional
intelligence use more positive, well-adapted, coping strategies to deal with different
sources of stress at school, thereby feeling greater job satisfaction (Palomera
et al., 2008). Surveyed teachers
identified the ability to regulate emotions as indispensable for reaching academic
goals (Palomera et al., 2008). If emotional
intelligence skills training become essential part of a preparation program’s
curriculum to mitigate teacher burnout, the long-term benefit will be exhibited
by an educator’s professional longevity, personal satisfaction, and student
learning.
Studies involving teaching and learning typically focus
upon knowledge, cognition, and skill. Studies
involving teacher beliefs or practices allow researchers to make observable
measurements. Despite this propensity,
Hargreaves (2001) emphasized the need to address emotional practices since emotions
are embedded within the conditions and interactions of teaching. Thus, educator and leadership preparation
programs will benefit from encouraging teaching practices that require
increased competence in emotional awareness as well as cognition.
The results of a study by Rojas (2012) asserted three needs
for optimal emotional intelligence development among prospective teachers:
1.
Development of emotional intelligence begins with a
commitment to change.
2.
Application of emotional intelligence learning is
optimized within environments favorable to emotional intelligence development.
3.
Pursuit of an ideal allows interdependent application
of all other emotional intelligence competencies.
Action research projects within
capstone courses assess most graduate programs’ measurable outcomes. Results of program completion include
competency development in subject matter knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and
caring teacher leadership skills.
Course objectives need to align
with these three competency areas (CAEP, 2013). Capstone research courses often
require the students to identify research questions relevant to their program-based
studies, review and analyze important research related to the topic, design an
action-research study using qualitative or quantitative methodology, and
reflect on the implications of their study to enhance the quality of teaching
and leadership. Currently, explicit course
work in both emotional intelligence behaviors within the workplace and development
of school climate based on Invitational Education theory is missing from surveyed
education division graduate programs.
A correlation was found between
the demonstration of a leader’s high emotional intelligence behaviors and the
perception of a positive school climate (Anderson, 2017). This suggests that students of teacher
preparation and school leadership programs would benefit from measurable course
objectives throughout each program that identify expectations for skill
development aligned with emotional intelligence competencies and the advancement
of optimal school climate. Measurable
outcomes that requires development of emotional intelligence competencies and the
recognition of optimal school climate could be influential for mitigating
stress, improving job satisfaction, and optimizing school climate that
contributes to school success.
To cite:
Anderson, C.J. (November 30, 2018) Graduate programs’ curriculum should explicitly
develop emotional
intelligence and leadership skills [Web log post]
Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/
References:
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Anderson, C.J.
(2016). A correlational study examining demonstrated emotional
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