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European Journal of Educational Studies 2(3), 2010 (Adeyemo & Adeleye, 2008; Salami, 2004; Salami & Ogundokun, 2009; Tagliavia, Tipton, Giannetti & Mattei, 2006; Wong, Wong & Chau, 2001), self-efficacy (Adeyemo & Adeleye, 2008; Faulkner & Reeves, 2009; Hagger, Chatzisarantis & Biddle, 2001; Salami 2004; Salami & Ogundokun, 2009; Schwarzer or Fuchs,2009;Yalcinalp ;2005),and psychological well-being (Khramtsova, Sarrnio, Gordeeva, & Williams, 2007; Salami, 2008) have been shown to predict students’ attitudes and academic performance in higher educational institutions. Thus, the overall question of interest in this study was how changes in emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and psychological wellbeing (happiness, life satisfaction and depression) are related to students’ behaviours and attitudes. Little attention have been paid to how emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, psychological well-being (happiness, life satisfaction & depression) differentially predict various facets of students’ behaviours and attitudes. One way of filling the gap created in knowledge in this area is to examine the predictors of students’ behaviours and attitudes and their implications for enhancing quality in education. In this study, I examined the extent to which emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being (happiness, life satisfaction & depression) jointly and separately contribute to the prediction of students’ behaviours and attitudes. In the academic life of students in tertiary institutions especially universities, colleges of education and polytechnics, students’ intrinsic motivation, self- discipline and attitudes toward their lecturers or professors are perhaps the three most important domains to consider in students’ behaviours and attitudes. Intrinsic motivation is the desire to study based on personal interest and satisfaction rather than for a grade. Self discipline is having self-control over ones behaviours and attitudes (e.g. studying, getting to class on time). Attitude towards lecturers and professors refers to thinking highly of lecturers’ professional level and showing them respects (Khramtsova, Saarnio, Gordeeva & Williams, 2007). Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) refers to individual differences in the perception, processing, regulation and utilization of emotional information. It is a constellation of emotion-related self-perceived abilities and dispositions located at the lower levels of personality hierarchies (Petrides & Furnharm, 2001). Individuals with high trait EI scores believe that they are in touch with their emotions and can regulate them in a way that promotes well-being (Bar-On, 2005). These individuals should enjoy higher levels of happiness (Furnham and Petride, 2003). Emotional intelligence has been related to several factors such as life satisfaction, psychological well-being, occupational success and job performance, (Adeyemi & Adeleye, 2008; Bar-On, 1997 & 2005; Salovey & Mayer, 1990). Emotional intelligence has also been found to be related to students’ academic achievement, behaviours and attitudes (Salami, 2004; Salami & Ogundokun, 2009; Tagliavia, Tipton, Giannetti & Mattei, 2006; Wong, Wong & Chau, 2001). However, few studies have related trait EI to students’ behaviours and attitudes. According to Salovey and Mayer (1990), emotional intelligence involves abilities that are categorized into five domains,self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, empathy, and handling relationship which have implications for students’ performance in tertiary institutions. It is likely that emotional intelligence will assist students having low happiness and low satisfaction and high depression in developing appropriate behaviours and attitudes in respect of their academic work. It is, therefore, expected that emotional intelligence will moderate the relationship of psychological well-being with students’ behaviours and attitudes. Self-efficacy refers to a person’s is belief in his/her ability to organise and execute a required course of action to achieve a desired result (Bandura, 1997). Self-efficacy has been found to be related to academic achievement, behaviours and attitudes (Faulkner & Reeves, 2009; Hagger, Chatzisarantis & Biddle, 2001; Yalcinalp, 2005; Schwarzer & Fuchs, 2009; Salami, 2004; Salami & Ogundokun, 2009). It is, expected that self-efficacy will be related to students’ behaviours and attitudes. However, there is scarcity of research that examined the self-efficacy of stressed students in relation to their attitudes. Self-efficacy determines an individual’s resiliency to adversity and his/her vulnerability to stress and depression (Bandura, Caprara, Barbaranelli, Gerbino & Pastorelli, 2003). General self-efficacy aims at a broad and stable sense of personal competence to deal effectively with a variety of stressful situations (Adeyemo, 2008; Schwarzer, 1994). Perhaps for an individual who has low happiness and life satisfaction and high depression, having high self-efficacy will help him/her in displaying appropriate behaviours and positive attitudes as regards his/her academic work. Therefore, it is expected that self-efficacy will moderate the relationship of psychological with students’ behaviours and attitudes. 248
European Journal of Educational Studies 2(3), 2010 Psychological well-being is defined as states that emerge from feeling of satisfaction with one’s close interpersonal relationships and with one’s occupation and financial situation (Bar-On, 2005). In this study, it is defined as a combination of happiness, life satisfaction and depression. Happiness is an emotional state whereas life satisfaction addresses a more global cognitive evaluation of one’s life (Compton, 2005; Khramtsova et al, 2007). Whereas happiness and life satisfaction are positive affects, depression is a negative affect. Both affects tell us the well-being of the individual. At present much more is known about negative effects of depression on student success than about the benefits of happiness and life satisfaction (Khramtsova et al, 2007). For example, depression is negatively related to students’ success, grade point average and less time spent on homework (Field, 2001). According Isen (2003), positive affect correlates positively with processes that contribute to college successcognition and motivation. Thus the objective of this study is to bring positive and negative characteristics into a context and find their differential influence on students’ behaviours and attitudes. It is expected that the positive characteristics (emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, happiness and life satisfaction) will account for variation in students’ behaviours and attitudes over and above negative characteristics of students (depression). Theoretical framework This study is based on positive psychology theory by Seligman and Csikszentmihaly (2008) which states that happiness promotes success across various arenas of human functioning. According to Erez and Isen (2002), inducing positive emotional states in people facilitates flexible, effective problem solving, decision making and evaluation of events. Therefore, positive emotions have a potentially adaptive and interactive nature and might moderate the relationship between stress or depression and college students’ behaviours and attitudes that lead to success. According to positive psychology, it is more important to focus on developing positive characteristics rather than on avoiding or diminishing negative ones such as depression after they have occurred. Statement of the problem Given the paucity of research that investigated the relationship of psychological well-being (happiness and life satisfaction), self-efficacy and emotional intelligence with students’ behaviours and attitudes, there is need to fill the gaps in knowledge by examining the mentioned predictors of students’ behaviors and attitudes. The study investigated the relationship of psychological well-being, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence with students’ behaviours and attitudes. This study also examined the moderating roles of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy in the relationship. Hypotheses It was hypothesised that depression (H1), happiness (H2), life satisfaction (H3), emotional intelligence (H4) and self-efficacy (H5) will predict students’ behaviours and attitudes. It was further hypothesised that emotional intelligence (H6) and self-efficacy (H7) will moderate the relationships of psychological well-being (happiness, life satisfaction and depression) with students’ behaviours and attitudes (Intrinsic motivation, self discipline and respect for lecturers). METHOD Research Design This study adopted a survey research design to obtain data from the participants in order to investigate the relationship between the dependent and the independent variables. 249
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