A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SOCIAL CLASS OF B.ED. TRAINEES

Abstract

The objective of this research study is to analyse the relationship between the emotional intelligence of B.Ed. trainees and their social class. This study is needed because emotional intelligence is extremely important for prospective teachers, as it helps in shaping their personality, classroom management, and the ability to build effective relationships with students. At the same time, social class influences an individual's experiences, opportunities, and social interactions, which can, in turn, affect emotional development. For this study, a total of 400 trainees — 200 female and 200 male — were selected from 20 B.Ed. colleges of Jaunpur district using the two-stage stratified sampling method. Conducted through the survey method, the study employed Karl Pearson's coefficient of correlation. The results showed a correlation of r = 0.4065 between emotional intelligence and social class for female trainees, and r = 0.4533 for male trainees; in both cases this represents a medium-level, positive, and statistically highly significant correlation (p < .001). On this basis, the null hypothesis was rejected. It may therefore be concluded that a positive and significant relationship exists between the emotional intelligence of B.Ed. trainees (both female and male) and their social class. The educational usefulness of this study lies in the fact that teacher-training institutions can, keeping in mind the social background of trainees, organise special programmes, counselling sessions, and workshops for emotional development, thereby fostering the all-round personality development of prospective teachers.