Emotional Intelligence and Teachers’ Work Engagement: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Perceived Stress

Abstract

A growing number of studies have tested the relationship between personal resources (e.g. emotional intelligence) and indicators of occupational well-being, including work engagement. However, few have examined health-related factors moderating or mediating the pathway from emotional intelligence to work engagement. A better knowledge of this area would contribute substantially to the design of effective intervention strategies. The present study’s main goal was to test the mediating and moderating role of perceived stress in the association between emotional intelligence and work engagement. The participants comprised 1166 Spanish teaching professionals (744 of whom were female and 537 worked as secondary teachers; M_age = 44.28 years). The results showed that perceived stress partially mediated the link between emotional intelligence and work engagement. Moreover, the positive relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement was strengthened among individuals who scored high in perceived stress. The results suggest that multifaceted interventions targeting stress management and emotional intelligence development may facilitate engagement in emotionally demanding occupations such as teaching.

Keywords:

• Stress and coping
• engagement
• teaching and instruction
• education

Disclosure Statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Ethics Approval Statement

All procedures were approved by the ethics committee of University of Malaga (CEUMA; approval number 66/2018-H). All participants provided informed consent to participate.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by research projects from the University of Málaga and Junta de Andalucía/FEDER (UMA18-FEDERJA-147), funded projects by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2020-117006RB-I00) and PAIDI Group CTS-1048 (Junta de Andalucía). The first author is supported by the University of Málaga.

Notes on contributors

Sergio Mérida-López

Sergio Mérida-López holds a PhD in Psychology and works as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Social Psychology at the University of Málaga (Spain). He is a member of the Applied Positive Lab research group (CTS-1048). His line of research focuses mainly on psychosocial factors, emotional abilities, and occupational well-being in the teaching context.

Vânia Sofia Carvalho

Vânia Sofia Carvalho is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon in Lisbon (Portugal). She has a PhD in Human Resources, Work and Organizational Psychology. She is a member of the CicPsi (Research centre of psychology science of University of Lisbon). Her main research interests include the intersection between work and family and workers’ well-being.

Maria José Chambel

Maria José Chambel is an associate professor at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon in Lisbon (Portugal). She has a PhD in social psychology and teaches in work and organizational psychology. She is member of the CicPsi (Research centre of psychology science of University of Lisbon). Her main research interests include subjects such employment relations, temporary workers, and higher students and workers stress and well-being.

Natalio Extremera

Natalio Extremera holds a PhD in Psychology and works as a Full Professor in the Department of Social Psychology at the University of Málaga (Spain). He is a member of the Applied Positive Lab research group (CTS-1048), as well as main researcher of different R&D national projects on the assessment and development of positive personal resources in educational and occupational contexts.