The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Work Factor Characteristics On Job Satisfaction in the Teaching Profession (24 - 44)

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to see the role of emotional intelligence (EI) on job satisfaction among primary and secondary school teachers. Secondly, this study looks at the effects of EI interactions with job characteristics, such as job control, work interests and diversity of skills on job satisfaction. This study is a survey using a set of questionnaires. The sample consists of 1200 teachers from 60 schools in Melaka, Perak and Penang. Two types of measurement tools are the Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) to measure EI and Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) to measure job satisfaction and job characteristics. The findings of Pearson's correlation analysis show that there is a positive and significant relationship with the variable of job satisfaction. While the two-way ANOVA analysis shows that there is a significant interaction effect between EI and job characteristics over work satisfaction variables. In terms of contribution, the findings show that emotional intelligence is capable of giving a positive and significant contribution to job satisfaction. In addition, a high working environment can increase the level of job satisfaction among teachers with high levels of emotional intelligence compared to those with low emotional intelligence levels. In conclusion, this study can illustrate the Ministry of Education's importance of emotional intelligence in helping to increase work satisfaction among teachers. Therefore, the Ministry needs to take positive and immediate steps such as organizing continuing courses so that each teacher can participate. This is because emotional intelligence can be enhanced at any time since emotional intelligence is not influenced by genetic factors. In addition, it can also illustrate the need to adapt and change the environment of the teaching organization and the characteristics of the job in providing work satisfaction among teachers.