ASSESSMENT OF BASIC SCIENCE TEACHERS' EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND STUDENTS' ANXIETY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN KANO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assesses basic science teachers' emotional intelligence and basic science
students' anxiety and academic performance. Survey research design in form of one
short- case study was used in the study. The population of the study comprises of 5935
JSS2 upper basic science students and 28 teachers in the 26 public schools that offer
basic science. The sample of the study comprises of 25 basic science teachers and a
total of 1364 students. The instruments used in the study are Basic Science Students'
Performance Test (BSSPT) and Basic Science Students' Anxiety Scale Questionnaire
(BSSASQ). Three research questions were raised and answered using mean and
standard deviation, mean rank and media, while three null Hypotheses were
formulated and tested at P≤ 0.05 level of significance using mann-whitney,
independent t-test and Kruskal-wallis. The findings show that; teachers' emotional
intelligence has impacts on the mean scores of academic performances of students.
Students taught by teachers with high emotional intelligence scored higher than
those taught by students taught by teachers with low emotional intelligence;
teachers' emotional intelligence has impacts on the anxiety levels of students.
Students taught by teachers with low emotional intelligence were more anxious than
those taught by teachers with high emotional intelligence. Based on the findings it
was recommended that;; high emotional intelligence of teachers should be
considered when recruiting basic Science teachers by the state ministry of education
as it has been found in this study that teachers' emotional intelligence has greater
effects on students' academic performance and anxiety; Stake-holders in education
should give priority to basic science teachers' low emotional intelligence as one of
the factors that contribute to the poor performance of basic science students