The Relationship between Students’ Social Competence, Emotional Intelligence and their Academic Achievement at Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Aktobe

Abstract

In the modern world the tendency to increase students’ academic achievement can be easily observed and Kazakhstan is not an exception. After getting independence in 1991 the country strives for entering the world arena in all the spheres including education. In Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools high academic achievement is one of the priorities for students. To reach this aim students and teachers are provided with all the necessary facilities, new technologies and gadgets, and are expected to develop academically and professionally. Students spend the whole day at school, even devoting their time after school to additional lessons, while teachers should conduct research and participate in conferences in addition to their teaching. All these efforts are aimed at increasing students’ academic achievement and ensuring high position of Kazakhstan in the world educational rankings. However, not all the aims regarding academic success have been reached, leading to concerns about the key factors which influence students’ academic achievement. To investigate the problem quantitative correlational design study was employed. All the data was collected in one educational organization which is Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Aktobe. A sample of 152 participants was selected by using non-probabilistic purposive maximum variation sampling procedures. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) were used to collect data. For data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as hierarchical regressions were conducted in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results provided information on the level of students’ social competence and emotional intelligence. The study also focused on how high, average, and lower performing NIS students compare in terms of social competence and emotional intelligence. The influence of gender, age and medium of instruction on the relationship between academic achievement and students’ social competence and emotional intelligence was studied as well.