INTEGRATING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TO ENHANCE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

This chapter discusses the fundamental importance of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in enhancing undergraduate students' academic achievement in universities or colleges. It seeks to illustrate that traditional models overlook a vital component by emphasizing cognitive abilities. It synthesizes the existing literature to show that EI, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, has an immediate effect on performance through improved cognitive capabilities, stress buffering, and the ability to engage in collaborative endeavours. On the other hand, EI promotes higher-level learning, prevents burnout, and enhances the quality of group work. It provides a picture of the embedding of every level for an undergraduate experience integration model, developed through embedded curriculum practices, experiential teaching, faculty training, administrative guidance and peer mentorship. It recommends specific interventions – such as the RULER approach to emotional check-ins – and concludes that the deliberate development of EI should not be just one more program; it should be a new pedagogy to ready motivated, flexible, and successful students for the twenty-first century.