GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to determine the relationship between the psychological variables of emotional intelligence and experience of spousal violence of married female secondary school teachers in Akwa Ibom State. The need to reduce rising cases of spousal violence prompted the desire to determine how these variables may contribute to experience of spousal violence among female secondary school teachers. The correlational design was adopted using a sample size of 409 out of the population of 4,094 married female secondary school teachers during the 2019/2020 academic session in the area. A researcher-developed instrument, Emotional Intelligence and Spousal Violence Questionnaire, was used for data collection. The instrument’s internal consistency reliability coefficients using the Cronbach Alpha analysis were .79 and .82 for dependent and independent variables, respectively. The data obtained was analysed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). All the null hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 alpha level, and the findings indicated significant relationship between empathy, self-regulation, self-identity, and spousal violence of married female secondary school teachers in the area. On the strength of the findings, it was concluded that emotional intelligence have significant relationship with spousal violence of married female secondary school teachers. Based on this conclusion, it was recommended, among other things, that female teachers should show greater empathic accuracy and willingness to accommodate their spouses during disagreements. This could be achieved by being sensitive to the feelings and emotions of the partner.

KEYWORDS: Emotional Intelligence, Spousal Violence, Married Female Teachers, Secondary School and Akwa Ibom State