Influence of emotional intelligence on learning styles: an exploratory study on management undergraduates in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia

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Research and Development in Higher Education Vol. 30: Enhancing Higher Education, Theory and Scholarship

July, 2007, 651 pages
Published by
Geoffrey Crisp & Margaret Hicks
ISBN
0 908557 72 8
Abstract 

There were many studies done on emotional intelligence and learning styles and their effect on learning. However, studies that looked into the relationship between these two concepts have been lacking. This exploratory study aimed to find out the extent of the influence of emotional intelligence on Kolb’s learning styles and how the different dimensions of emotional intelligence influenced the different learning styles. A conceptual framework was developed for this research and a survey was carried out with 231 management undergraduates from a private higher education institution in Malaysia and a public university in Saudi Arabia. The data was analysed using exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression and frequency count. Findings indicated that emotional intelligence influenced the diverger, converger and accommodator styles but not the assimilator style. Each of these styles was influenced by the different dimensions of emotional intelligence. This further indicated that each phase of the Kolb’s learning cycle required certain properties of emotional intelligence to increase the effectiveness of learning. In this context, self awareness, social awareness and self management seemed to be the significant dimensions of emotional intelligence. A framework on the effects of emotional intelligence on learning was developed from the study. The relationship between emotional intelligence and learning styles has significant implications for teaching and learning whereby teaching materials and methodologies can be adapted to integrate both the emotional dimension of learners with their learning styles.

Keywords: emotional intelligence, Kolb’s learning styles, management undergraduates