The Correlation between English Emotional Intelligence and Work Engagement of Secondary School Teachers in China

Emotional intelligence is distinguished as a key factor that influences work engagement. However, there is limited research exploring the relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement among secondary school English teachers in China's ethnic regions. Therefore, this study utilizes self-determination theory to support how emotional intelligence affects work engagement in such educational contexts. This study used purposive sampling to survey 301 secondary school English teachers from different ethnic regions in China. SPSS 27.0 was used for correlation analysis. The results of the study showed that (1) English teachers have higher levels of emotional intelligence and work engagement, reflecting the overall high psychological quality of the participants. (2) There is a positive correlation between the variables, showing their positive relationship. Ultimately, this study provides pedagogical insights for educational policy makers and practitioners to guide the improvement of teacher training and support systems so that they can work together to promote educational quality and equity in ethnically diverse regions.