The role of emotional intelligence in adolescents negotiating the transition to high school : a critical review

Abstract

The transition from primary to high school is a normal and exciting process that most school learners engage in. The transition can however present school learners with various risks and challenges, because it may cause a disruption within their environment. This disruption may lead to a negative transitional experience which may result in both short- and long-term effects such as dropping out of school, declined academic performance, substance abuse, financial problems, symptoms of depression, low self-esteem and emotional difficulties. Taking the above into account, one may notice how emotional intelligence (EI) can play an increasingly important role in the transitional process. EI is defined as the capacity, ability or skill to reason and accurately perceive emotion, to access or generate emotion that will assist thought and understanding of emotion, and reflectively regulate emotion. Literature has positively correlated EI with aspects such as a positive social environment, increased academic performance, adjusting positively to new environments, management of stress and mental well-being. Subsequently EI may play a beneficial role to facilitate the experience of a positive transition. This research study adopted a critical review approach in order to evaluate, analyse and integrate the existing scientific literature in order to create an in-depth and holistic perspective regarding the role of EI within the transition. The search and appraisal process of this critical review revealed five studies which investigated the role of EI within the transition from primary to high school. The five studies were subject to the process of thematic

analysis in which codes were generated and then utilized to identify themes. The themes that were identified are: (1) The role of EI in school learners mental health during the transition, (2) EI abilities facilitate a positive transition for the school learner, (3) EI plays a positive role within the social environment of a school learner during the transition and (4) the positive role of EI in the scholastic adjustment of a school learner during the transition. An interesting finding to note is that each of the domains interact with one another. Therefore, when EI has a positive effect on one of the domains, it reverberates to the other domains. The findings revealed that EI can play a positive and facilitative role within the transition through increasing their ability to manage stressful situations and adapt positively, assisting school learners within their social environment, adjustment to the academic environment and their mental well-being. The research therefore provides the foundation for future researchers and suggests that it is important for future research to focus on EI within the transitional process.