ABSTRACT

This study investigated social intelligence as determinants of teachers’ competencies and self – esteem of secondary school teachers in Abia State. Eleven questions and eleven null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a correlational research design. The sample for the study consisted of 370 (100 males and 270 females) respondents drawn through multi-stage sampling procedure from 5008 (1,360 males and 3,648 females) public secondary school teachers in 184 public secondary schools in Abia State. Three instruments namely: Teachers’ Social Intelligence questionnaire (Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale (TSIS) adopted by the researcher and Teachers’ Competencies Scale (TCS) and Teachers’ Self-Esteem Scale (TSS) adapted by the researcher were validated by three experts: from the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The internal consistency instruments were established using the Cronbach Alpha method which yielded the reliability indices of 0.84, 0.82 and 0.85 for SIS, TCS and TSS, respectively. The data obtained through the administration of the instruments were analyzed using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient to answer research questions. Linear regression was used to test null hypotheses 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 while multiple regressions were used to test null hypotheses 4 and 9 at 0.05 levels of significance. Scheffe test statistic was also done for a step-wise comparison of the means research questions/hypotheses 4 and 9 to determine the direction of the relationship. The findings of the study revealed the following: There was a significant relationship between social intelligence (social information processing, social skills and social awareness) and teachers’ competencies. Social information processing had the highest percentage contribution of 67.9%; followed by social awareness with 42% and lastly social skill which predicted 28% of teachers’ competencies; there is a significant relationship between social intelligence (social information processing, social skills and social awareness) and teachers’ self-esteem. Social information processing had the highest percentage contribution of 67.6%; followed by social awareness with 40.4% and lastly social skill which predicted 29.4 of teachers’ self-esteem; gender is not a significant determinant factor in the relationship between social intelligence (social information processing, social skills and social awareness) and teachers’ competencies and teachers’ self-esteem. Gender determined 5% of the variance observed in the relationship between social intelligence (social information processing, social skills and social awareness) and teachers’ competencies and self-esteem of teachers respectively. Social intelligence determined 99.8% of teachers’ competencies and self-esteem of teachers. Among the educational implications of the study was that teachers’ competencies and teachers’ self-esteem depend on their social intelligence. It was thus recommended that teachers should be exposed to the importance of the relationship between social intelligence and teachers’ competencies and teachers’ self-esteem among others.