Exploring Students' Emotional Quotient and Mathematics Performance in a Rural High School in The Philippines

Abstract : This study employed a descriptive-correlational design, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, to determine the relationship between the Emotional Quotient (EQ) level of junior high school (JHS) students and their performance in Mathematics. Data was gathered from 315 junior high school students of Gubat National High School, Sorsogon, Philippines, for the school year 2023-2024. The instruments used were the Quick Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment (QEISA) to measure the EQ levels of students across the four EQ domains—Emotional Awareness, Emotional Management, Social Emotional Awareness, and Relationship Management—and the Albay Numeracy Assessment Tool (ALNAT) to evaluate their mathematics performance. Researcher-designed interviews were also conducted to gain deeper insights into the factors influencing their performance. The data gathered underwent different statistical treatments like frequency count, mean, standard deviation, chi-square, coefficient contingency, and thematic analysis. The results reveal a significant, moderate relationship between the students’ Relationship Management and a significant, low relationship in the Social Emotional Awareness, with their performance in Mathematics. Additionally, this study proposes EQ-based lesson exemplars for Grades 7 to 10 (JHS) Mathematics to address students’ least-learned competencies and enhance their EQ. This research underscores the importance of integrating socio-emotional learning into educational practices to improve students’ Mathematics performance.