Abstract

Student Engagement has emerged as a central theme in the context of Higher Education in recent years. Thus, there is great consent towards it. Due to several factors, undergraduates are diverted and disengaged consequently, especially the state universities of Sri Lanka currently experiencing this issue. Even there are many factors impact student engagement. This study explored the significance of teachers with their emotional intelligence competencies for getting student engagement. University students prefer to take student-centered teaching where it is possible if only teachers are ready and capable to take account of students' interests, needs, and perspectives on adaptation with their teaching approach. Having understood the phenomenon above, the current study designed to investigate the impact of the emotional intelligence of teachers in higher education on student engagement based on students’ perspectives. This is an explanatory study that the data collected from the sample of 1455 undergraduates selected from the state universities in Sri Lanka on which stratified random sampling method was adopted. Finding reveals that students are engaged but not actively and as per the students’ point of view lecturers are just good rather excellent enough on emotional intelligence competencies. However, there is a strong positive relationship as well as have a significant positive impact of emotionally intelligent teachers of higher education on student engagement. Ultimately it is concluded that higher education teachers require to expand the substantial amount of skill on emotional intelligence. Further, then active student engagement can be ensured.

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