Investigating the Relationships between Demographic Factors and School Principals’ Emotional Intelligence in Managing Change

Abstract

Substantial research has revealed that the emotional intelligence of school leaders is crucial for the development of effective school leadership. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between demographic factors and Principal Change Leadership Emotional Intelligence (PCLEI) in the secondary schools of Malaysia. A total of 615 secondary school principals that were chosen using disproportionate stratified sampling method completed the on-line survey. The findings revealed that, i) PCLEI was reliably related to school type whereas school principals from different locations had no significant difference in their level of PCLEI; ii) PCLEI was not reliably related to both prior experience and on-the-job experience of school principals; and iii) instead of academic qualifications, PCLEI was reliably related to professional qualification. The study provides information and expands our understanding about the importance of the relationship between demographic factors and emotional engagement in enhancing school leaders’ capacity for change.