December 14, 2019 - 12:22 AMT
Students' emotional intelligence key for success in school: study

Students who can understand and manage their emotions effectively can perform better at school than their less-skilled peers, according to a study that suggests the inclusion of emotional skill development to the existing school curriculum.

The study, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, noted that emotional intelligence is an important psychological trait, necessary for academic success, along with high intelligence, and a conscientious personality.

The researchers, including those from the University of Sydney in Australia, analysed data from more than 160 studies -- representing more than 42,000 students from 27 countries -- published between 1998 and 2019.

More than three-fourths of the data were from English-speaking countries, with the students ranging in age from elementary school to college.

The findings of the study revealed that students with higher emotional intelligence tended to get higher grades and better test scores than those with lower emotional intelligence scores.