EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SELFPERCEPTION OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The purpose of the present study is to compare the levels of emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and self-perception of a group of students with specific learning difficulties attending the last grade of Primary School with the same group of students attending the first grade of Secondary Education. Method. The sample consisted of one hundred Greek-speaking students with a mean age of 11.5 years (11-12 age range) who were diagnosed with specific learning difficulties. For the purpose of the study, the psychometric materials used were the "Questionnaire of Emotional Intelligence as a Trait for Children – Short Version", as well as the weighted "Psychometric criterion of school – social competence". Results. The results showed that there is a statistically significant difference between the self-perception of the students in the two phases of the research, and in particular, it was found that the self-perception of the students is observed to be higher in secondary school compared to those in primary school. Moreover, it was found that there is a strong positive correlation between the variables of emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and self-perception in students with specific learning disabilities. Discussion and Conclusion. Based on the results, the factors responsible for the low psychosocial skills of adolescents with specific learning disabilities are identified and intervention strategies are proposed to improve them.