Dr. Shikha Verma Kashyap
Director AAFT University
Raipur
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
A NEW MUST FOR LEARNERS PERFORMANCE
The intent of this article is to understand the importance of emotional intelligence in a learners life and make the learner perform the best ahead and across. This article talks about the implications of balanced emotional intelligence in performance of learner. Emotional intelligence is a term coined by Gardner in year 1975, although it started gaining popularity in 1983 through his own book that mentioned different types of intelligence and then this concept gained its ultimate existence when this topic was considered for doctoral research in 1985 by Wayne Payne.So far evidently the emphasis has always been given to the development of the rational mind. Intelligence Quest use to be the commonly considered parameter to decide the intelligence of normal being. But, having good IQ cannot solely be the driving factor to deduce that the person/student/learner will succeed in life. For an instance a learner has been found to be doing good academically throughout the year has been getting good scholastic outcomes and on the day of final performance in board exams, the learner reports that the paper was not attempted well, a blackout was sensed, forgot all the concepts suddenly. Then you will find parents justifying to this as their ward suffers with exam anxiety. This is not the time to cover up by observing the concern that can last forever and in every exam of life that child might fail to accomplish the aim due to lack of emotional control. This is sheer case of underdeveloped emotional intelligence. This need to be dealt well in a manner that it becomes one of the personality traits of today’s generation. Traditionally it used to be quoted quiet often that any human begin should be a combination of well-coordinated head and heart. Mahatma Gandhi advocated development of mind, body and soul.
That’s the reason prayers, observance to silence in the schools are now part of the regular school routine along with physical exercises and these are also gaining importance in higher education segment by various occasions like International Yoga day or so. Development of emotional intelligence is considered to be an area still needs focussed attention. This is required specially in case of Higher Education where student is getting transformed into professional in consideration to the fact that he/she is having all the quest already developed in a manner that can qualify him/her to be industry ready which is not the fact.
The curriculum in higher education sector needs to be developed in a manner that student from learning concepts in the classroom practice empathy on fields and understand various shades in life. Emotional Intelligence from the Gardners perspective encompasses domains like: Self-awareness; managing emotions; motivating oneself; recognising emotion in other; handling relationships.
Now if a learner is developed in all the domains mentioned above then he/she will be able to understand thyself emphasizing upon the activities to be planned in manner that the learner may become apt in the process of self-awareness. Learner will be in position to uphold and manage emotions like anger, rage, worry, melancholy, depression and learn out the best. Learner must be taught the real art of maintaining high level of inner motivation as this is one factor that inculcates ever growing attitude in individual.
Similarly, the fifth and sixth domain talks about the respect to the emotions of others and handling the same with empathy to retain the trust and ultimately manage the emotions of others to handle and develop good relationship, as society is held up with people having common beliefs, customs, laws and any learner transformed to professional will ultimately will have to serve back the society for which better understanding of the beings that’s make society adds an advantage of easy acceptance of an individual and support their performance. This way the holistic demonstration of the development of the emotional quest in a learner can be considered to be helping him/her out to sustain in the world with more efficiency, acceptance and prepared way to adhere to the adverse situation as well and come out with flying colours. Its high time when the power of emotional quest is realized and efforts taken towards its development in a child/learner of any level.
