The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Resilience in Managing Students’ Disruptive Behaviours in Universities

Abstract

 Disruptive behaviours among students like regular absenteeism, tardiness, inattention during lectures, verbal aggression towards peers, and defiance against lecturers, have become increasingly common, as observed by the researchers and reported in secondary sources. To avert these adverse behaviours, this study investigated the roles of lecturers’ emotional intelligence and psychological resilience in managing such behaviours in universities in Kwara State. . A cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect data from 552 lecturers using adapted questionnaires validated and tested for reliability. The research objectives were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings indicated that emotional intelligence significantly and positively predicted psychological resilience among lecturers, while psychological resilience had a significant negative impact on students’ disruptive behaviours. In contrast, emotional intelligence was a nonsignificant predictor of these behaviours. Also, the indirect effect of emotional intelligence on disruptive behaviours through psychological resilience was significantly negative in universities in Kwara State, North-central Nigeria. The study concluded that psychological resilience is a crucial mechanism enabling emotional intelligence to lead to better behavioural outcomes in higher education institutions in Kwara State, Nigeria.