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Strong, C 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6003-5123,
2025.
The impact of emotional intelligence on school teachers’ effectiveness in delivering primary physical education in England.
PhD, Nottingham Trent University.
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Abstract
This PhD thesis explores the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on the effectiveness of schoolteachers to deliver primary Physical Education (PE) in England. Emotional intelligence, broadly defined as the ability to monitor, understand, and manage emotions in oneself and others, is increasingly recognised as a vital skill in various professional fields, including education (Bar-On, 1997; Goleman, 2001; Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey, 1999). Despite the extensive research on the role of emotional intelligence in classroom teaching, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding its application in primary PE (Deci & Ryan, 2008; Domville et al., 2019; Kremenitzer & Miller, 2008). This doctoral research investigates the specific facets of emotional intelligence that contribute to successful PE teaching and evaluates the effectiveness of targeted emotional intelligence training for primary school teachers. The PhD research is structured around four discrete but interconnected studies, which collectively contribute towards developing a richer and more nuanced understanding of how emotional intelligence influences primary PE teaching, as well as how best to support teachers in training of emotional intelligence via online CPD.
Study 1 was a pilot study to examine how the emotional intelligence of the teacher and its utilisation while teaching could enhance the delivery of primary PE and to check that research tools and methods were suitable for use in the rest of the thesis. Six teachers took part in semi structured interviews and completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) and the (ability-based) Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Version Two (EIQ-2). They were then observed teaching primary PE on three occasions using a bespoke observation template and completed a self-reflection journal. The key findings were that after reflecting on their utilisation of emotional intelligence in three PE lessons through the journals, the teachers felt more confident to deliver primary PE. In addition, several changes were made to the research tools for future use in the thesis, such as to use of the emotional intelligence tests for study two, to shorten the reflective journal and to use a Dictaphone for data collection.
Study 2 considered the specific facets of emotional intelligence exhibited by primary school PE teachers, this time focusing on lessons across the different key stages. Employing a mixed-methods approach, 17 teachers undertook the EIQ-2 test, were observed teaching two PE lessons to different key stages, completed a reflective journal and took part in semi-structured interviews. The triangulation of the data helped to identify notable differences in the way teachers applied emotional intelligence when teaching to different age groups, with certain facets, such as ‘emotional regulation and empathy,’ being particularly important in managing younger pupils.
The purpose of the third study (16 primary teacher participants) was to develop (based on the findings of Study 1 and 2) and evaluate a bespoke on-line training programme, "Training Emotional Intelligence in Primary PE" (TEIPPE), designed to enhance the emotional intelligence of primary school teachers, specifically in the context of PE. The programme educated the teachers on the importance of emotional intelligence in fostering engaging and supportive learning environments and gave suggestions for how various facets of emotional intelligence could be utilised to improve PE lessons. After training on the TEIPPE programme the teachers gave feedback on their experience and its effectiveness via focus group discussions. The programme was generally well-received, suggestions were made for improvements and the teachers reported on how it could build on their confidence and ability to manage the dynamics in a PE lesson.
The fourth and concluding study evaluated the effectiveness of a revised and updated CPD programme (TEIPPE-2) for 17 primary PE teachers. The teachers were observed teaching two PE lessons pre- and post-training on the TEIPPE-2 programme. After the pre-training observation the teachers were provided with a feedback form (based on the observations) by the researcher, explaining which facets of emotional intelligence were used and could be used to improve the PE lesson. After the post-training session the teachers were again provided feedback on how their session had changed and the teachers completed a self-reflection journal on the process. The findings were that training on the TEIPPE-2 programme led to improvements in the ability of the teachers to manage classroom dynamics, build positive relationships with pupils, and adapt their teaching strategies to meet the emotional needs of their pupils. Moreover, these teachers reported increased confidence and job satisfaction, which positively influenced the overall effectiveness of their PE teaching.
The thesis findings underscore the importance of emotional intelligence in the specific context of primary PE. The overall conclusions are that teachers with higher or improved emotional intelligence were more capable of delivering engaging and motivating PE lessons. The TEIPPE-2 was effective in developing the use of relevant facets of emotional intelligence in primary teachers when teaching PE, but such training should be integrated into initial teacher education and professional development to ensure that all teachers are equipped with the necessary emotional skills to support their pupils effectively.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Creators: | Strong, C. |
| Contributors: | Name Role NTU ID ORCID |
| Date: | May 2025 |
| Rights: | The copyright in this work is held by the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the author. |
| Divisions: | Schools > School of Science and Technology |
| Record created by: | Jeremy Silvester |
| Date Added: | 04 Jul 2025 09:48 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Jul 2025 14:29 |
| URI: | https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/53880 |
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