Publication Details
Abstract
Objective: The current study aimed at examining the relationship between emotional intelligence and work-related stress among the teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Iraq. Method: The study adopted a quantitative correlational design, and the sample consisted of 56 middle and high school teachers in Iraq, selected according to a convenience sampling method. The questionnaire adopted was an online, structured questionnaire made up of two scales: An Emotional Intelligence scale and a Work-Related Stress scale, with 10 items on each scale using a 5-point Likert scale. Cronbach's alpha for both instruments was used to confirm the instruments' reliability (EI = .711; Stress = .801). Spearman's rank correlation was used because the Shapiro-Wilk test revealed that the scores on emotional intelligence were normally distributed, but the scores on the work-related stress were not. Results: The findings showed a weak negative correlation that was not statistically significant between emotional intelligence and work-related stress (r = −.225, p = .095). The results indicate that there is a link between a rise in emotional intelligence and a decrease in stress level, but the relationship is not strong in this sample. Novelty: Based on the results of the study, further research on the influence of other factors affecting teachers' stress in educational environments is suggested.