Emotional Intelligence Professional Development at a Health-Sciences University: A Pilot Study in Dental Hygiene...

Emotional intelligence (EI) correlates with an educator's ability to engage with students, leading to a positive experience for the educator and the students. This study evaluated an EI course designed to guide faculty in the advancement of their own EI and their ability to incorporate EI student activities into the curriculum.

Five dental hygiene faculty participated in this mixed-methods study. Four participants completed the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) before and after the course. Five participants completed a pre/post perceived stress scale (PSS) and a survey regarding the faculty's EI perceptions. Post-course, participants completed a questionnaire on the impact of the course and developed guided reflections after implementing EI activities into the curriculum.

Of the participants that completed the ESCI (n=4), all EI scores increased. Although faculty remained in the moderate to high stress category, PSS scores decreased for 100% of participants (n=5). Compared to pre-survey results, EI perceptions increased for all participants (n=5). Qualitatively, themes emerged from guided reflections including a positive shift in the environment, increased student participation, and improved communication between students and faculty.

The EI course appeared to have a positive impact on the faculty's EI, relationships with students, and ability to integrate EI in the curriculum. Although this pilot study demonstrated positive results, future research is needed due to the small number of participants.