EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AS A CORRELATE OF ACADEMIC ADJUSTMENT OF UNDERGRADUATES IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The study investigated emotional intelligence as a correlate of academic adjustment of first year undergraduates in public universities in Anambra state. The study was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted correlational research design. The population of the study comprised 14,101 first year undergraduates from two public universities in Anambra state. A sample of 705 respondents was selected using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Instruments used for data collection were; Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), and Students Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ). The instruments were validated by three experts in Guidance and Counseling. The reliability of the instruments was established using Cronbach Alpha. The computation yielded co-efficient values of 0.91, and 0.81 for EIS and SACQ respectively. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used for data analysis. The findings of the study revealed a moderate positive relationship between emotional intelligence and academic adjustment of first year undergraduates. The findings of the study also showed a weak positive relationship between emotional intelligence and academic adjustment of male undergraduates and a moderate positive relationship of female first year undergraduates. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that university administrators should prioritize creating a supportive campus environment that fosters academic adjustment.