Emotional competence as a fundamental element in the academic performance of fourth and fifth grade elementary school students

Abstract

This research is aimed to identify emotional competence as a fundamental element of the academic performance of students in the fourth and fifth grade of elementary school. Educating mind and heart is a responsibility that largely corresponds to teachers since the socio-emotional competence development in schools is the best measure to prevent the risk of social vulnerability, because it provides the tools to confront positively conflict situations, to prevent the onset of emotional disorders (like anxiety or depression) and to promote a better quality of life. This is a noun-type and non-experimental quantitative research. The sample consisted of 118 students, whose emotional coefficient and academic performance in the areas of Language, Math, Social Studies, and Science were analyzed. It was identified that 50 % of the students have an adequate emotional intelligence, leading them to have an expected accomplishment in the learning process, whereas 14 % has a low level of emotional intelligence, locating them in the beginning and processing learning level.