EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE

DEVELOPMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF COMMUNITY

COLLEGE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM

DISSERTATION DEFENSE

STEVIE BLAKELY

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3RD 2015

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Determine the impact of formal leadership training on the emotional intelligence development of community college students.

Purpose of the Study

1. How do community college students’ experiences in a formal leadership training program impact their development of emotional intelligence?

2. How do students demonstrating the greatest gains on the ESAP-A/B perceive that their participation in a leadership training program impacted their growth of emotional intelligence?

3. What curriculum/design components of a leadership training program do participants perceive as having the greatest impact on their personal development?

LITERATURE REVIEW

• Research regarding Student Development Theory• We know they develop through in-classroom and out-of-classroom

experiences, but how do they develop through leadership training specifically?

• Research regarding Emotional Intelligence• As higher education, specifically community colleges, focus on

workforce development, it is important to research the experiences which develop EI in students.

• Research regarding EI and Higher Education• Strong research base discussing the connections between EI and

academic achievement, but not EI and student development.

This study fills the gap in the research, exploring how leadership training can impact student EI development.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Emotional Competency Areas Emotional Skills

Interpersonal Communication

1. Assertion

Personal Leadership Skills

1. Comfort2. Empathy3. Decision Making4. Leadership

Self-Management Skills

1. Drive Strength2. Time Management3. Commitment Ethic

Intrapersonal Skills 1. Self Esteem2. Stress Management

Problem Areas

1. Aggression2. Deference3. Change Orientation

Figure 1: Emotional Skills Assessment Process (Low et al., 2004; Nelson, Low, & Vela, 2003)

METHODOLOGY

Phase 1: Pre-test using the ESAP-A instrument (August/September)

Phase 2: Focus Groups with each program (February/March)

Phase 3: Post-test using the ESAP-B instrument (April)

Phase 4: Interviews with 12 students demonstrating the most growth (April/May)

DATA RELIABILITY & TRUSTWORTHINESSRESEARCHER BIAS

• Reflexive Journaling• Colleague assistance for pre-test• Member checking of transcripts• Peer debriefing of coding

DEMOGRAPHICSCampus:

• Enrollment: 8,698

• Majority Female (65%)

• Average Age 27

• Ethnicity:• White 45%

• Black/African American 17.5%

• Unknown 15%

• Hispanic/Latino 13.4%

• Other 9.1%

Sample:

• Enrollment: 37 (n=30 for data)

• Majority Female (73%)

• Average Age 24

• Ethnicity:• Hispanic/Latino 33.3%

• Black/African American 26.7%

• White 16.7%

• Other 16.7%

• Asian American 6.7%

FINDINGS- RESEARCH QUESTION 1

Theme: Self-confidence and Self-esteem“When I started in this program, I was intimidated by the other students. They were older and knew more than me. I was just quiet, sitting in the back. Now I feel like I can contribute. That I participate in class and have something to say. I found my voice. In a

way, I found myself.

Theme: Out of Comfort Zone“By putting yourself in the situation where you are uncomfortable, it helps you. It’s what helped me.”

FINDINGS- RESEARCH QUESTION 2

Experience: Public Speaking“Well I feel like without leading the orientation, I wouldn’t have been able to stand up in front of a group of people and present myself because I am

normally kind of shy.”

Experience: Communication“You bond with the team in coming up with ideas on what we should do and what we should not do and

how everything was going to work out.”

FINDINGS- RESEARCH QUESTION 3

Top Components:1. Workshops2. Teamwork3. Being in a Cohort4. Networking5. Orientation**

ADDITIONAL FINDINGS

1. Overall EI growth outliers (+95%/-19%)

-comprehension

-self-reported/mood influence

2. Identity Development

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND POLICY

• Research• Use larger samples with the ESAP-A/B to determine EI

growth in college students

• Use larger sample sizes to determine demographic differences in EI scores and development

• Deeper investigation is needed regarding the “comfort zone” experiences and the impact that these have on college student development and EI growth

• Deeper exploration of cohort experiences, specifically co-curricular, and the impact these have on student development

THANK YOU!