The Effects of Integrating Emotional Intelligence on Students Attitudes toward Mathematics

The paper discusses the findings of a study which examine the effects of integrating emotional intelligence on students’ attitudes toward Mathematics. The research employed a quasi-experimental design involving two non-equivalent study group samples receiving different treatment. Focus was on the Mathematics subject at the lower secondary level in Malaysia. A total of 253 students were involved as research participants. The research involved two groups: a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group received teaching instruction which integrates emotional intelligence while the control group received normal teaching instruction by teacher. Data were collected over a period of nine weeks. A pre-test was conducted in the first week followed by seven weeks of instruction. A post-test was carried out in the final week. The Attitudes toward Mathematics Inventory was used to gauge students’ attitudes toward Mathematics. Research results show that the experimental group received teaching instruction which integrates emotional intelligence has statistically significant effects on students’ attitudes toward Mathematics. Generally, research results showed that the integration of emotional intelligence in teaching and learning process has significantly increased students’ attitudes toward Mathematics.