Emotional intelligence profiles at the end of primary education and academic performance

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been one of the topics with the most repercussion in the last decades in the fields of psychology and education, but its relationship with the academic performance of students has generated a lot of controversy in scientific research. The objective of the present study was to check the EI profiles of students when they finished primary school, and if there were any differences in the grade point average (GPA) between the EI profiles. The sample consisted of 1253 students (681 males; 572 females) from Tenerife (Spain) in the 6th grade of primary education, with an age range between 10 to 13 years old. The students’ EI was evaluated with the Emotional Quotient Inventory Young Version (EQi-YV). Academic performance was obtained from end-of-course grades. Cluster analysis identified the existence of five EI profiles at the end of primary education. There were no statistically significant differences in the GPA between the five groups of students, and trait EI had no influence on performance. These findings are in line with other research that questions the existence of a significant positive relationship between trait EI and academic performance.