ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Quantitative Psychology and Measurement
Psychometric Validation of the Leadership Toolkit (2021) Emotional Intelligence Scale for Teacher Development in Chinese Private Universities
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hengxing University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- 2Faculty of Education and Sport Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- 3SEGi University Kota Damansara, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, Malaysia
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Emotional intelligence (EI) is linked to effective teaching and educational leadership, yet few tools have been validated for Chinese private-university faculty. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Leadership Toolkit (2021) EI Scale in a sample of 450 teachers from Shandong Province. Using stratified sampling, we administered a 37-item instrument covering five domains—self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, empathy, and social skills. Exploratory factor analysis supported a five-factor solution; confirmatory factor analysis indicated good fit (χ²/df, CFI, TLI, RMSEA, SRMR within commonly accepted thresholds). Convergent and discriminant validity were established (loadings ≥.70; AVE ≥.50; CR ≥.70). Multi-group CFA demonstrated configural, metric, scalar, and residual invariance across gender, supporting unbiased cross-group comparisons. Internal consistency was high for the total scale and subscales. Findings suggest the instrument is reliable and culturally appropriate for assessing EI among Chinese private-university teachers, with implications for faculty development and leadership training. Future research should replicate with broader samples and examine links between EI and instructional outcomes. Despite these strengths, the study is limited by a single-province sample and self-report data, and it adopts a cross-sectional design.
Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, confirmatory factor analysis, Measurement invariance, Psychometric validation, Chinese private universities, teacher development
Received: 23 May 2025; Accepted: 24 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 SUN, @ Jerry and Tan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mohd Khairuddin Bin Abdullah @ Jerry, 394027884@qq.com
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