Factors Responsible for Developing Emotional Intelligence Competence of Teachers in Pakistan: Academics’ Perceptive

The research study was descriptive in nature and a quantitative method was used to conduct the study. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors responsible for developing emotional intelligence competence of teachers. Total 2577 teachers of public and private elementary schools of district Khanewal were the population of the study. By using simple random sampling 610 elementary school teachers were selected as a respondent of the study. Questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents about the factors affecting their emotional intelligence skills. As per results, it was found that teachers were good at self-awareness. They were also self-motivated, self-regularized, socially competent and also had social skills. Moreover, female teachers were good at emotional intelligence skills as compared to male teachers regarding self-regulation. The results showed that there was no significant difference of opinion of teachers about the emotional intelligence competence by sector and qualification. Overall, the results showed that teachers were having high emotional intelligence skills. The study suggested that emotional intelligence training must be a part of professional development of teachers and professional learning communities must be fostered where teachers can share their experiences and learn from experiences of others. Moreover, support systems and resources must be provided to teachers in


Introduction
Emotional intelligence (EI) is a serious ability that makes a person able to recognize and manage their emotions in an effective way, interconnect with people around, and shape meaningful relationships.In past years, there has been an increasing interest in knowing and understanding the factors that play a very important role in the development of emotional intelligence capabilities and competencies among academics in the context of a variety of cultures, including Pakistan.Research recommends that development of emotional intelligence is prejudiced by multiple factors, like social skills, culture, and educational environments.In collectivist cultures like Pakistan, group harmony is often highlighted, which can influence the expressions of an individual and emotions management.In Pakistan, the education system mostly gives importance to the academic achievement over the competencies of emotional intelligence development which can ultimately cause stress and competitive environment among the academics (Alvi et al., 2018).Nevertheless, latest research recommends that training the academic about competencies of emotional intelligence (Gupta & Rajput, 2021).Such programs can be developed to improve the academics' self-regulation, social competence, social skills, self-awareness and self-motivation, which can ultimately bring a positive change in well-being and job satisfaction of individuals (Chopra & Singh, 2021).
The research intends to recognize and categorize the factors which play an important role to the development of emotional intelligence among academics in the Pakistani context.The study also aims to use qualitative research design and it will also design semi-structured interviews in order to gather data from academics working in different institutes all over Pakistan.The collected data will be used to analyze patterns and themes that are related to all those factors which influence emotional intelligence development among academics.The results/findings of this research will deliver understanding about the cultural and contextual factors which contribute in the development of emotional intelligence among academics in Pakistan.Moreover, the results of the study will also deliver practical recommendations for policymakers, educators, and also the other stakeholders in the Education System of Pakistan in order to design and implement actual emotional intelligence training and development programs.
One of the latest types of research highlights the importance of emotional intelligence at the workplace, which also includes the academia context.Emotional Intelligence is said to be the ability to know, understand and manage one's own emotions and also the emotions of others.When talking about the academic setting, emotional intelligence is also associated with a wide range of positive results, which also includes job satisfaction, performance at workplace and academic institution and well-being.As the academic sector in Pakistan remains to progress, with the emphasis on output of research and international collaborations, academics are fronting many new challenges that need them to be adaptive and advanced (Hussain & Ali, 2019).In the context of Pakistan, latest research has also pointed out the importance of the factors which influence its development (Khan & Jaffar, 2017;Rana & Malik, 2018).Developing emotional intelligence competencies may be one way for academics to meet these challenges and succeed in their roles.However, while there has already been some research on emotional intelligence among academics of Pakistan, there is still need that is not known about those factors which influence its development in this context.Therefore, the current study intends to find out the factors which develop competencies of emotional intelligence among Pakistani academics, from their perceptions.It will also monitor or examine the role of factors such as relationship work, organizational support and training and development programs in developing emotional intelligence competencies with the help of many interventions like training programs (Austenfeld, Paolo, Stanton, & Edwards, 2020;Grant, Curtayne, & Burton, 2009).When talking about the Pakistani context, such interventions may be mostly relevant, with the unique organizational and cultural factors which encourage the competencies of emotional intelligence (Rafique, Ayub, & Ali, 2018).It is significant to find out the perceptions and knowledge of Pakistani academics in relation to developing their competencies of emotional intelligence, to notify the development of contextually proper interventions.The aim of the current study is to play a part in providing insights into factors that Pakistani academics perceive as important for developing their emotional intelligence competencies.With the help of which, this study will inform the development practices and policies which promote emotional intelligence competencies in the academic sector in Pakistan.

Literature Review
Emotional intelligence is the capability to identify and manage one's own emotions and to understand the emotions of others as well.It has also been linked to multiple ranges of positive outcomes, which includes success of an individual related to academic, profession and improved interpersonal relationships.When talking about the Pakistani context, multiple cultural and organizational factors influence the development of emotional intelligence which comprises tiered structures, collectivistic values and restricted chances for professional development (Rafique, Ayub, & Ali, 2018).For instance, Rafique et al. (2018) find out that emotional intelligence and work values were closely associated with the executive obligation in the Pakistani banking sector, stressing the importance of emotional intelligence for workplace success in this context.There is some research on development of emotional intelligence competencies in Pakistani context, there remains a requirement for investigation into factors that affect their progress among Pakistani academics specifically.According to Hassan and Arif (2020) there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and self-awareness among students of Pakistani universities.The results of the study showed that there was a strong correlation between self-awareness and emotional intelligence, showing that individuals who are at a high level of self-awareness also had a higher level of emotional intelligence.
The study also found that self-awareness significantly predicted emotional intelligence, suggesting that self-awareness may be an important factor in developing emotional intelligence competencies in the Pakistani context.Similarly, research by Rasheed and Ahmed (2018) says that self-awareness among the students of Pakistani business students was also positively associated with emotional intelligence.Overall, researches about self-awareness suggest that it is an extremely important factor when talking about development of emotional intelligence competence among Pakistani students.With the help of promoting self-awareness, involvement may be able to make competency of emotional intelligence more enhanced in the context of Pakistani students, leading to improved academic and professional outcomes.A critical component of Emotional intelligence is self-regulation, and it has been shown to be very closely linked with an individual's success whether it is academic or professional.In the Pakistani context, several studies have observed the relationship between self-regulation and emotional intelligence.According to Malik, Khaliq and Khan (2021) there was a relationship between self-regulation and emotional intelligence among students of Pakistani universities.The result of the study showed that one of the significant predictors of emotional intelligence was self-regulation which indicates that an individual having high self-regulation skills has a high level of emotional intelligence.The study also shows that the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement was significantly mediated by self-regulation, which also suggests that among Pakistani students, selfregulation can be an extremely important factor for academic success.
Likewise, Khan et al. (2020) also found that among Pakistani students, self-regulation was closely associated with emotional intelligence.Authors recommend that involvements aimed at developing self-regulation might be an operative way to improve competency regarding emotional intelligence among Pakistani students.Overall, the researchers suggest that self-regulation is an extremely important factor in order to develop emotional intelligence competencies in the context of Pakistan.With the help of promoting self-regulation, interventions may be able to improve emotional intelligence competencies among Pakistani academics, actually leading to improved academics and professional outcomes.Self-motivation is the main component of emotional intelligence, and it has also been found to be closely associated with many outcomes which includes professional and academic success.In the Pakistani context, many researches have examined the relationship between self-motivation and emotional intelligence.According to Ali, Raza and Akram (2020) the relationship between self-motivation and emotional intelligence among students of Pakistani university.The findings of the study showed that self-motivation was an important predictor of emotional intelligence which indicates that individuals having high selfmotivation skills also had high levels of emotional intelligence.The study also shows that emotional intelligence moderately mediated the relationship between self-motivation and academic achievement, signifying that emotional intelligence may play a role in the link between self-motivation and academic success among Pakistani students.
According to Zahid et al. (2021) self-motivation was positively linked with emotional intelligence among Pakistani employees in the banking sector.The researcher suggests that interventions aimed at enhancing self-motivation may lead to improved emotional intelligence capabilities among workers in this sector.Generally, these studies recommend that self-motivation is a very important aspect in growth of emotional intelligence competencies in Pakistani context.By encouraging self-motivation, interferences may be able to improve emotional intelligence competencies among Pakistani academics and employees, possibly important to enhanced academic and professional consequences or outcomes.A study by Qamar and Atta (2021) the relationship between social competence and emotional intelligence was examined among the students of Pakistani universities.It was found that emotional intelligence was found as an important interpreter of social competence which indicates that students who are good at skills of emotional intelligence are also good at social competence.The study also showed that social competence facilitated the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement, which also suggested that emotional intelligence plays a very important role in building connection between success in academic achievement and social competence among students of Pakistan.Likewise, a study by Khan et al. (2020) examined the association between emotional intelligence and social competence among Pakistani teachers as well.As per findings, emotional intelligence was closely associated with social competence, which indicates that teachers having higher levels of emotional intelligence also showed better social competence in the classroom.The study also recommended that intrusions meant at enhancing emotional intelligence competencies may lead to improved social competence among Pakistani teachers.Overall, these studies suggest that social competence is an important factor in the development of emotional intelligence competencies when talking in the Pakistani context.By promoting social competence, interventions may be able to enhance emotional intelligence competencies among Pakistani students and teachers, potentially leading to improved academic and professional outcomes.
Social skills are an important component of emotional intelligence and have been shown to be predictive of academic and professional success.A study by Jahanzeb and Fatima (2019) examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and social skills among Pakistani university students.The results showed that emotional intelligence was positively associated with social skills, indicating that individuals with higher levels of emotional intelligence also had better social skills.The study also found that social skills mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement, suggesting that emotional intelligence may play a role in the link between social skills and academic success among Pakistani students.According to Waqar and Azhar (2021), examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and social skills among Pakistani medical students.The authors found that emotional intelligence was absolutely related with social skills, demonstrating that students with higher levels of emotional intelligence also displayed improved social skills.The study recommended that involvements intended at enhancing emotional intelligence competencies may lead to enhanced social skills among Pakistani medical students.Overall, these researchers recommend that social skills are a significant factor in the development of emotional intelligence capabilities in the Pakistani context.By promoting social skills, interventions may be able to enhance emotional intelligence competencies among Pakistani students, potentially leading to improved academic and professional outcomes.Chong and Humphreys (2019)  Objectives of the study were in following given folds:

1.
To explore the factors responsible for developing emotional intelligence competence of school teachers.

2.
To compare the perception of teachers about emotional intelligence competence of school teachers by gender, sector and professional qualification.

3.
To recommend the suggestions to improve the emotional intelligence competence of the teachers.

Research Methodology
The research study was descriptive in nature and a quantitative method was used to conduct the study.Emotional Intelligence has a great influence not only in daily life matters but also in education.The study was about analyzing factors responsible for developing emotional intelligence competence of school teachers in Pakistan.There are a large number of educational institutes in Pakistan.So, the study was delimited to only elementary schools of district Khanewal.All public and private schools' teachers of district Khanewal were considered as the population of the study.Total 2577 teachers of public schools and 3170 teachers of private schools were included in the population.By using cluster sampling technique 610 elementary school teachers were selected as the respondents of the study.A questionnaire consisted on five factors was developed and items were developed after a comprehensive review of literature.To check the reliability of questionnaire Cronbach alpha test was applied.Value of Cronbach alpha (0.91) showed that reliability of the questionnaire was high and fit for data collection.The questionnaire was designed on a five-point Likert scale, i.e., from "Very Unlikely" (VUL), "Unlikely" (UL)," Neutral" (N), "Likely" (L), to "Very Likely" (VL).The collected data was organized and imported in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).Collected data was analyzed by using frequencies, mean, significance and t-test and results were interpreted precisely to understand the findings of the study.

Results
Table 1 shows over all factor wise perception teachers about emotional intelligence.It can be inferred from the mean values of each factor that the teacher had a positive perception about emotional intelligence.12.92% teachers were unlikely to have perception about self-awareness, while 7.21% teachers were undecided and 79.82% teachers were likely to have a perception about self-awareness.38% teachers were unlikely to have perception about self-regulation, while 14.3% teachers were undecided and 28.8% teachers were likely to have a perception about self-regulation.10.88% teachers were unlikely to have perception about self-motivation, while 10.6% teachers were undecided and 78.42% teachers were likely to have a perception about self-motivation.38.52% teachers were unlikely to have perception about social-competence, while 11.6% teachers were undecided and 49.9% teachers were likely to have a perception about social-competence.37.9% teachers were unlikely to have perception about social-skills, while 17.6% teachers were undecided and 41.6% teachers were likely to have a perception about social-competence.Overall mean value (3.45) showed that teachers' emotional intelligence competence was high.Table 2 shows factor wise perception of male and female teachers about emotional intelligence competence.In the first section, the significance value (0.21) was greater than .05which showed that there was no significant difference of opinion between male and female teachers about self-awareness.There was a significant difference of opinion between male and female teachers about self-regulation because the significance value was 0.05.Male teachers (M=2.68) had low levels of self-regulation as compared to female teachers (F=2.90).Significant value (.29) was greater than .05which showed that there was no significant difference of opinions between male and female teachers about self-motivation.There was no significant difference of opinion between male and female teachers about social competence because significance value (0.17) was greater than 0.05.Significance value (0.21) was greater than 0.05 which showed that there was no significant difference of opinion between male and female teachers about social skills.Table 3 shows factor wise perception of public and private school teachers about emotional intelligence.In the first section, the significance value (.34) was greater than .05which showed that there was no significant difference of opinion between teachers of public and private schools about self-awareness.There was also no significant difference of opinion between teachers of public and private schools about self-regulation because significance value (.27) was greater than .05.Significance value (0.34) was greater than .05which showed that there was no significant difference of opinion of teachers of public and private schools about self-motivation.There was also no significant difference of opinion of teachers of public and private schools about social competence because significant value (0.32) was greater than 0.05.Significance value (.33) was greater than .05which showed that there was no significant difference of opinion between teachers of public and private schools about social skills.Table 4 shows factor wise perception of teachers having B.Ed. and M.Ed.qualification about emotional intelligence competence.In the first section significance value (.46) was greater than .05which showed that there was no significant difference of opinion between teachers having B.Ed. and M.Ed.qualification about self-awareness.There was also no significance difference of opinion between teachers having B.Ed. qualification and about self-regulation because significance value (.08) was greater than .05.Significant value (.24) was greater than .05which showed that there was no significant difference of opinions of teachers having B.Ed. and M.Ed.qualification about self-motivation.There was no significance difference of opinion between teachers having B.Ed. and M.Ed.qualification about social competence because significance value (0.91) was greater than 0.05.Significance value (0.62) was greater than 0.05 which showed that there was no significance difference of opinion between teachers having B.Ed. and M.Ed.qualification about social skills.

4.1Discussion
Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role for the success of an individual or an institute.The research intends to recognize and categorize the factors which play an important role to the development of emotional intelligence among academics in the Pakistani context.As per findings of the study female teachers had a high level of self-awareness as compared to male teachers.According to Cabello et al. (2018), emotional intelligence is associated with the ability of an individual in order to identify correctly and comprehend the emotions of other people as well.The study found that females possess higher levels of emotional intelligence as compared to males.Moreover, the researchers also recognize a gender bias, showing that females outperform males in recognizing emotions accurately.
The findings of the study explored that male teacher had a high level of self-awareness as compared to female teachers.Hoffman et al. (2018) reported that men discovered higher levels of self-awareness in connection with psychological suffering.This study showed self-awareness and psychological suffering, and reported that men possess higher levels of self-awareness in connection with psychological distress when compared to women.Men were more likely to correctly identify and recognize their emotional state when going through distress.Zhang et al. (2021) reported that men exhibited higher levels of self-reflection and understanding.The research also investigated gender variances in self-reflection and awareness.The findings revealed that men showed higher levels of self-awareness and were reported more likely to gain insight from their thoughtful processes as compared to women.
According to Akhundov and Mammadova (2021) found that there is higher levels of selfregulation and emotion regulation in female teachers as compared to male teachers.Al-Juboori and Al-Obaidi (2021) also states that male teacher has comparatively lower levels of selfregulation and emotional intelligence than female teachers.Moreover, Alsaif and Alquhtani (2020) found that female teachers adopt more self-regulation strategies in comparison with male teachers and female teachers were more likely to use metacognitive strategies.Another research done by El-Gharbawy and Ibrahim (2020) states that self-regulation and emotional intelligence were significant predictors of job satisfaction in both female and male teachers, but the effect of selfregulation on job satisfaction was stronger in female teachers.Hussain and Shah (2021) found that female teachers had higher levels of self-regulation and emotion regulation than male teachers.Male teachers had high levels of self-motivation as compared to female teachers.According to Al-Juboori and Al-Obaidi (2021) the male teachers had higher levels of self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation than female teachers.Female teachers had high levels of socialcompetence skills as compared to male teachers.Another study by Rahimi and Asadollahi (2012) found that female teachers were more likely than male teachers to use humor and to be flexible in their teaching.The study also found that female teachers were more likely to be perceived by their students as being creative and innovative teachers.Female teachers had high levels of socialcompetence skills as compared to male teachers.Another study by Rahimi and Asadollahi (2012) reported that female teachers had good sense of humor and were more flexible in teaching as compared to male teachers.The study also reported that students consider their female teachers more creative and innovative as compared to male teachers.Chang et al. (2021) states that public school teachers possess higher scores on a measure of self-awareness than private school teachers.The study also showed that teachers of public schools are more likely to use self-reflection so that they can improve their teaching style.Another research done by Smith et al. (2022) found that teachers of public school were more likely to be conscious of their strengths and weaknesses than teachers of private school.Teachers of public schools seek feedback from people around them in order to cover week points of their teaching.
According to Al-Azzawi and Al-Fartousi (2021) private school teachers had higher levels of emotional intelligence than public school teachers.The study also states that teacher of private schools uses more skills of emotional intelligence such as self-regulation, self-awareness, selfregulation and management of relationships in order to improve their teachings.Teachers of private schools had high levels of self-motivation as compared to teachers of public schools.According to another study conducted by Martin et al. (2014) reported that teachers in private schools were more likely to be motivated by intrinsic factors, such as a desire to help others and make a difference in the world.Public school teachers, on the other hand, were more likely to be motivated by extrinsic factors, such as a desire to earn a high salary or have a secure job.Rahimi and Asadollahi (2016) reported that teachers in private schools were more likely to be self-directed and to set their own goals.Public school teachers, on the other hand, were more likely to be motivated by external factors, such as the expectations of their supervisors or parents.According to Mutai (2023) teachers of private schools are good at social competence skills as compared to teachers of public schools.The study also found that private school teachers were more likely to use SEL skills in their teaching and to create a positive classroom environment.
Teachers having B.Ed. qualification had a high level of self-awareness as compared to teachers having M.Ed.qualification.Akram et al. (2019) found that teachers with a B.Ed. degree had significantly higher scores on a measure of self-awareness as compared to teachers with an M.Ed.degree.The study also found that teachers with a B.Ed. degree were more likely to be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, and to be able to use this awareness to improve their teaching.Rahimi and Asadollahi (2020) found that teachers with a B.Ed. degree were more likely to be able to identify their own biases and to take steps to mitigate them.A study by Bilgin and Öztürk (2023) reported that teachers with a B.Ed. degree were more likely to engage in selfreflection and to seek feedback from others.
Teachers having B.Ed. qualification had a low level of self-regulation as compared to teachers having M.Ed.qualification.A study by Wang et al. (2022) found that teachers with a B.Ed. degree had significantly lower scores on a measure of self-regulation than teachers with an M.Ed.degree.A study by Alipour et al. (2023) found that teachers with a B.Ed. degree were more likely to experience stress and burnout than teachers with an M.Ed.degree.The study was conducted in Iran and included a sample of 200 teachers.A study by Bilgin and Öztürk (2023) found that teachers with a B.Ed. degree were less likely to be able to manage their emotions effectively than teachers with an M.Ed.degree.
A study by Akhundov and Mammadova (2021) states that teachers with M.Ed.degrees were better at skills of self-efficacy and also intrinsic motivation than those teachers with B.Ed. degrees.Another research conducted by Al-Juboori and Al-Obaidi (2021) found that teachers with M.Ed.degrees were more likely to use self-regulation strategies such as goal setting, planning, and monitoring to improve their teaching.Self-regulation is the ability to manage one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to achieve a goal.
According to Mutai (2023) found that teachers with M.Ed.degrees were good at skills of socialemotional learning (SEL) as compared to teachers with B.Ed. degrees.Social Emotional Skills are a subset of social competence skills which also include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills.The study also states that teachers with M.Ed.degrees were more likely to use Social Emotional Learning skills in their teaching which helps them to develop a positive classroom environment.Another study by Smith et al. (2022) states that teachers having M.Ed.degrees were good at developing high-quality relationships with their students and people in their workplace than teachers with B.Ed. degrees.The study also found that teachers with M.Ed.degrees were more likely to be involved in their students' lives outside of the classroom.

Conclusion
The study was designed to analyze the factors developing emotional intelligence competence among teachers.According to the findings of the study different factors i-e: selfawareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, social competence, social skills, self-management, social competence and good communication skills affects the teachers' emotional intelligence.After the analysis of data collected from teachers of both public and private sector it was concluded that male teachers have better self-awareness skills as compared to female teachers.Female teachers have got better skills of self-regulation, self-management, social competence and social skills.Teachers of the private sector are good at self-awareness and social skills.Public school teachers have skills of self-regulation, self-management and social competence.Teachers having B.Ed. as professional qualifications are good at social-awareness while teachers having M.Ed.as professional qualifications have skill of self-regulation, self-management, social competence and social skills.Overall, most teachers were aware of emotional intelligence and there was a need to improve in different areas of social skills to be competent teachers.

Practical Implementation
The current research study explores the factors influencing the emotional intelligence competence of male and female teachers working in the private and public sector of Pakistan.The research findings can lead to changes in the way teachers are appointed, trained or evaluated.It can also help in bringing change in the curriculum or pedagogy of teachers' education programs.Furthermore, it can also lead to change the way schools are being managed and organized.The findings of the study can also help the parents and responsible ones to understand the importance of emotional intelligence in education and can help children develop their self-motivation skills.

Recommendations
A country's development is strongly based on educational developments.Results from the study informed the weak points related to emotional intelligence of teachers.Emotional intelligence skills were found not good in male teachers teaching in the private sector having B.Ed. as professional qualification and less than ten years of experience.But findings can help education department to improve their teacher's emotional intelligence skills: • As part of professional development of teachers, mandatory emotional intelligence training must be implemented.These training programs must focus on improving selfawareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, social competence and social skills.• Emotionally intelligent and strong leadership can influence the environment of the whole school.So supportive leadership must be established in order to prioritize emotional intelligence and provide training for teachers on emotional intelligence competency.• Professional Learning Communities must be fostered where teachers can involve in ongoing dialogues and share their experiences related to emotional intelligence.These communities can help provide a platform for continuous learning and growth in this area.• Teachers must be offered with resources and support systems to help teachers manage their stress effectively.This may include their access to counseling services, wellness programs, mindfulness and stress management workshops.• Teachers must be trained to recognize the importance of work-life balance for teachers and encourage practices that support it.Teachers must be trained to prioritize self-care, set boundaries and allocate time for their personal activities and interests outside of work.• Activities to enhance emotional intelligence of students and teachers should be conducted in schools.With the help of its teachers will also learn much about emotional intelligence.
conducted a systematic review of emotional intelligence (EI) research in Asia, aiming to develop a conceptual model of emotional intelligence culture.The authors explored the influence of cultural factors on emotional intelligence in the Asian context.The review examined various studies conducted in Asia to understand how cultural norms, values, and expectations shape the conceptualization, measurement, and development of emotional intelligence in Asian societies.